


Because I Love You, You Idiot

by TheMightyFlynn



Series: Creature Features [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, Bonding, M/M, Mpreg, Not Canon Compliant - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Porn With Plot, Veela, Veela Harry, Veela Snape, Wings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-30
Updated: 2014-02-03
Packaged: 2017-12-28 01:19:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 115,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/985941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMightyFlynn/pseuds/TheMightyFlynn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Veela!Fic. Both Snape and Harry have Veela blood and are bonded. From Snape's POV as he tries to work out why Harry isn't reacting the way he should be to their bond.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I figured I'd try the two most common cliches in the HP genre at once: mpreg and creatures. The mpreg won't happen until later, as this might end up being a bit slow-burning. I'll add more tags as I add more chapters.

Severus Snape sighed as he sagged back against the dirty wall of the Shrieking Shack. The Dark Lord and Nagini had just left, leaving him to die on his own, the way he had lived most of his life. He had always known that he would come to a very bad end, but he had never imagined it would come at the hands or, rather, fangs of Voldemort’s giant snake. Something moved behind the walls and Severus had to resist a chuckle: it would only hurt him more, and despite his acceptance of his fate, he wanted to pass peacefully. It would be just his luck to be scavenged over by the local fauna. As the life slowly drained out of him, his mind drifted, landing on his favourite dream, one he knew could never have had a chance of coming true, but he had kept coming back to it, over and over again.

Severus had known since he was a young child that he had Veela blood in him. His mother was only a quarter Veela herself, and she had never known if he had enough Veela blood to make an Inheritance possible. She had died not knowing, worn down by the years of mistreatment by her mate. When Severus had reached 17 years of age, he came into his Inheritance, and gained all the extra powers inherent to his nature: the ability to produce a brilliant pair of wings from his shoulder blades; a very small amount of empathic ability which would allow him to gauge his mate’s emotional state; and the extra magical capacity to create an ever-lasting Bond with his mate.

Severus had been dreaming about his mate for the past few years, each time the images in the dream getting stronger. Towards the end of July the previous year, Severus had gone to bed as usual, thinking nothing of the strange feelings coursing through his body. He had awoken in the middle of the night, images of a naked body flitting through his mind. His breath quickened as he felt his mate coming into his Inheritance. Desire, joy, hope and fear all battled each other to be felt first, fear winning out by a long shot. Severus sat up in bed, ignoring his hard and aching cock. He slid over to the edge of his bed, placing his head in his hands. He knew that he had absolutely no right to hope that he would ever be able to survive the coming war and aftermath to discover just who his mate was, let alone go search for him, but he wanted to, desperately. He knew he must have met him already, because of the sharpness of the images he had seen in his dreams, but he could not remember what he had looked like. Lying back on his bed again, he closed his eyes and focussed on the dream, trying to force himself to remember who it was he had seen.

_He was standing over his mate, his huge blue-black wings spread wide. The man lying below him was staring up into Severus’s face, his eyes dilated black. Severus knelt down between his mate’s legs, allowing his wings to spread around the two of them, the tips stretching off the edge of the bed. He leant over, placed his hands on the bed, either side of his mate’s shoulders, and bent to kiss his way over the other man’s jaw line. The man beneath him moaned and arched his back, causing a delicious friction between them. Severus sighed in pleasure as he nibbled and sucked his way to his mate’s lips, before dipping his tongue into the warm depths. He reached down between them, grabbed his mate’s knee and hooked it up over his shoulder, stretching him wide. His mate moaned again, the sound vibrating down through Severus’s body, leaving goose bumps in its wake._

_“Now, please...” It was a voice Severus had heard before, one he was sure he would hear again, but he could not place it. “Severus, please,” the man whispered, his voice rough with lust._

_“Soon, love, soon,” Severus replied. He settled himself against his mate’s body: they fit together perfectly. Severus rocked his hips, gently rubbing his throbbing erection against his mate’s entrance._

_He looked down into the other man’s eyes, recognising them at last: there was no mistaking that emerald green._

He was jerked out of the dream by this startling revelation.

“Potter,” he growled as he finally recognised who it was he was destined to be with. A mixture of pleasure and pain combined momentarily to darken his eyes, the Shrieking Shack fading out of sight.

“Yes?”

Severus started at the sound of that voice, the harsh wood of the floor digging into his back. He figured it had to be a fever-dream: there was no way Potter was stupid enough to come looking for the Dark Lord here.

“Harry, what is it?”

Severus frowned at the sound of the higher female voice that sounded just after the beloved deeper tenor of his mate.

“Is... is that Professor Snape?”

“Yes, of course it is, Ronald, who else would it be? Now if you are not going to help me help him, then can you please just get out of my way?”

Severus stared up through the dark haze surrounding him, recognising Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley standing above him. He could not see Harry through the darkness threatening to engulf him, but he knew the younger man was there: he could sense him.

“Harry, what’s wrong, mate?” The Weasley boy stretched his arm out and must have placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder, if the corresponding thump was any indication.

Severus felt a rush of anger and jealousy cloud his vision again. ‘Mate’, the Weasley brat had called Harry, _his Harry_ , ‘mate’. Fighting against the pain and his darkening eyes, Severus reached down to grab his wand out of the folds of his robe, but felt soft hands on his arm, preventing him from raising it against the bastard who was trying to steal his mate.

“Sir,” Granger whispered. “Sir, I don’t think I can fix this, but I can probably stabilise you until we can get you back up to the school.”

Severus ignored her, trying to push her out of his way. The fingers holding his wand slipped a little in the blood covering most of his right-hand side. His Veela blood demanded that he protect his mate from everything, including the sexual advances of other men. It didn’t matter if Severus died in the attempt, he would prevent that ginger bastard from touching his Harry. He tried to rise again, or at least raise his wand to cast a hex, but Granger’s soft hands held him down.

“What’s he doing Hermione?” Good, the mate-stealing brat sounded worried. “Why does he have his wand out?”

“I... I don’t know, Ron, but he looks like he wants something.”

“Maybe I should just...”

Severus never heard what Weasley wanted to do, because the next second he had his arms full of a warm body. _Harry_ , his senses supplied. He wrapped his arms protectively around the hard body on top of him as the world darkened completely.


	2. Chapter 2

Sunlight, bright and harsh, reddened the inside of Severus’s eyelids. He lay on something soft, his shoulders sinking down into what felt like feathers. A loud buzzing filled his ears as pain and exhaustion weighed his limbs down, the contrast between the pain and the feathers making him believe he could not be dead. Heaven would not include pain and exhaustion, and hell would not have soft beds. He could sense his mate nearby, the vague notions of worry and fear washing down through their bond. The fuzziness of the emotions told Severus that their bond had not been sealed.

Having assured himself Harry was safe, for the time being at least, Severus took the time to work out where he was. His ears weren’t any use, due to the annoying buzzing noise, but the pressure of soft cotton over his bare feet told him he was in a bed, but the question was: where? He took a deep breath, smelling bleach and potions ingredients. So, a hospital, but not St. Mungo’s: the artificial sunlight coming in the windows of the wizarding hospital always felt different to Severus than natural light. Was it possible that they had allowed him to stay at Hogwarts, even after everything that had happened?

He puffed out the breath he had been holding and made an attempt to reach out to Harry, to finally seal the bond he had been craving since he had come into his Inheritance. He flexed his fingers, or attempted to, realising he could not move. The buzzing in his ears grew a little louder as frustration built inside him at his inability to move properly or, as it turned out, at all. He tried to open his eyes, but found that he could not even do that. Panic was now truly setting in as the thought that maybe Nagini’s venom had the power to paralyse occurred to him. The buzzing had now reached a high-pitched squeal, but Severus was not focussed on his ears. As the noise had increased, the feelings washing down to him through the bond had changed from worry and fear to excitement and joy. Harry was very close by and something had happened; something good.

A white flash blinded him for a second before the world came rushing back. He had time to realise that someone must have lifted a spell on him that had been keeping him still before gingerly opening his eyes, blinking to rid them of the spots caused when the spell had released. His ears cleared of the buzzing noise and the weight of paralysis lifted from his body just as something else landed on him. Hands scrabbled at his chest, scratching and clawing before gripping the harsh hospital nightgown and pulling him into a sitting position. Severus got the mental feeling of _Harry_ before soft lips smashed against his own in a bruising kiss. He responded immediately, opening his mouth to allow Harry’s tongue to explore all over. Severus wrapped his arms securely around his mate, pulling them closer together by wrapping Harry’s legs around his waist. He had waited 21 years for this, since the night of his own Inheritance, and he was going to make the most of it.

“Now, come on, Mr. Potter. I really cannot have this kind of behaviour in my hospital wing.” Poppy Pomfrey’s voice sounded far away to Severus’s ears, focussed as he was on Harry sitting in his lap. His mate was willing and obviously more than eager to seal the bond between them, which left Severus fighting back the desperate urge to simply take Harry there and then. The only thing stopping him was the knowledge that they were in public, and that Poppy would not allow anything like that to happen in her hospital ward. He vaguely registered footsteps coming close to his bed and a frustrated sigh before Harry was dragged away from him. Severus opened his eyes, firstly making sure his mate was not injured, before turning towards whoever it had been who had separated them.

Poppy stood beside Severus’s bed, her hand still on Harry’s shoulder. The Veela inside Severus surfaced immediately. He whipped Harry around and onto the bed so that Severus’s body shielded him from view and turned back to face the threat to his mate. He crouched low, kneeling on the soft bed with his eyes fixed determinedly on Poppy. He could feel his features distorting: his face elongating into a beak, his teeth growing sharper and his nails extending into claws. Poppy took a slow step backwards, shock and fear showing plainly on her face.

“What did I tell you, Madam Pomfrey? Zey need time togezzer to strengthen zeir bond,” a musical female voice came from across the room. “Until ze bond is fully formed, ‘e will react zat way whenever someone comes close to ‘is mate.”

Severus relaxed his stance, allowing his Veela side to retreat back inside him. He could sense the woman’s presence even if he could not see her, as she obviously had Veela blood. A warm hand tugged on his sleeve and he glanced down to where Harry lay, staring up at him with wide green eyes. Severus placed a hand on Harry’s chest, letting him know not to move until everything was safe. There was no way he was going to lose his mate now that he had finally found him.

“Fleur, how exactly do you expect me to be able to find out if our treatments have worked if I cannot get near either of them?” There was a touch of annoyance in Poppy’s voice now that Severus was not threatening her.

“Zere should be no need,” Fleur replied in an exaggeratedly calm voice, as if she was speaking to a child. Her shoes clacked on the tiles of the ward as she appeared from around the edge of a white curtain screening off another bed in the ward. The late afternoon sunlight shone off her blonde hair, nearly blinding Severus as he watched her move carefully into the room, as though scared she would frighten him. “‘arry, obviously being ze submissive one of the pair, has done everything ‘e can to heal ‘is mate. When both partners ‘ave Veela blood, then the submissive one will always be able to help heal the dominant one, by feeding ‘im some of ‘is own magical power through zeir bond, even if it is not yet fully formed. Eet ‘as always been zis way.”

“What do you mean ‘when both partners have Veela blood’? We have all known for a while now that Severus was part-Veela, due to his mother, but no one had any idea about Harry. How can you tell that their bond isn’t the same as yours and Bill Weasley’s?”

Fleur sighed dramatically. “‘ave you been able to get anything coherent out of ‘arry zese past two days, since ze end of ze Battle? Or ‘as ‘e just been sitting ‘ere, waiting for ‘is mate to wake up?”

A look of dawning comprehension crossed Poppy’s face, but before she could ask more questions, the doors to the hospital ward opened, admitting Minerva McGonagall. The newly-appointed Headmaster took one look at Severus hovering protectively over Harry and gave a small smile. She held her hands up to show she was holding no weapons and walked slowly across the room. When Severus reflexively placed one hand on Harry’s chest again, holding the other up as if warding her off, she halted.

“Severus,” she said slowly. Her voice carried across the room loudly and clearly. “I have just been made aware of your... situation. I have spoken to Mr. and Mrs. Delacour, and they have assured me that this kind of behaviour is natural and will continue until your bond has been sealed. I wish to inform you that we are about to put the anti-apparition spells up again, so if you want to take Mr. Potter here back to your rooms, now would be the best time.”

Severus nodded his head once to let her know he had understood, grabbed Harry’s hand and apparated the two of them back to his private rooms, ignoring Poppy’s annoyed protest.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may just be the way my perverted mind works, but this chapter is almost double the length of the other two. ;)  
> I know there haven't been any explanations yet, but they will have to wait another chapter or two. I swear they are coming and questions raised here and in the other two chapters will be answered!

They landed with a soft thump on Severus’s green and black draped four-poster bed in his private quarters in the dungeons. Severus let go of Harry’s hand as pain stabbed through his head. He lay down carefully, trying not to shake the bed and make the headache worse. He snuggled down into the warm embrace of the soft bedcovers, exhaustion weighing him down. He felt Harry lay down beside him and tried to open his eyes to reassure his mate, but could not summon the strength. The apparition from the hospital ward had drained him completely. Harry pushed Severus onto his back and lay down on top of him, moulding their bodies together. Severus tried to force himself to react, knowing he had to seal their bond, but he was so completely drained, both magically and physically, that it was like he had had the paralysing spell cast on him again. Then something strange started to happen: he felt strength begin to flow through him again as his magical reserves refilled. He squinted his eyes open to see Harry concentrating intently, a frown creasing his brow. Severus brushed his fingers across Harry’s cheek, breaking his mate’s concentration.

“It’s ok,” he whispered when Harry gave him a questioning look. “Don’t drain yourself trying to heal me. Once the bond is sealed, I will be fine.”

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He looked down at Severus helplessly before giving up on trying to speak and projecting what he was feeling through their bond instead. Severus was overwhelmed by worry, confusion, and an overlay of desire so strong it rendered him speechless. He flipped Harry over, preparing to allow his Veela side to take over in order to seal the bond completely.

Harry’s legs locked around Severus’s waist as he laid him gently down on the soft bed. Knowing that they had as much time as they could want, Severus went slowly this first time, determined to make sure Harry knew he was never going to belong to anyone else. Severus kissed just below Harry’s ear as he ran his fingers through the messy mop of black hair that Harry had never been able to control. He got a puff of hot breath blown against his neck as a reward. He chuckled as he realised that Harry was silently moaning beneath him, his eyes squeezed shut tight against the desire flooding through him. Severus trailed hot kisses along Harry’s jaw line, delaying the moment their lips met until the last second.

Their first kiss had been all desperate joy that they had finally found each other: a confirmation that they had both recognised their bond and were more than willing to seal it. Severus wanted to be certain that Harry would never want or need another man after tonight. He drew the moment out, brushing his lips against Harry’s softly, almost like a caress. When he couldn’t resist any longer, he added a little pressure to the kiss, sealing their lips together gently. Desire ripped through him, both his and Harry’s, as Harry arched beneath him. Severus smiled a little as he traced Harry’s lips with his tongue, asking silently for Harry to open to him. Harry readily opened his mouth, allowing Severus to dip his tongue into his warm depths. A light pulsing sensation filled Severus’s head and he knew he would not be able to hold the Veela back for much longer.

He unwillingly broke the kiss and raised himself to his knees. Harry lay before him, panting silently, his eyes glazed as he watched what Severus was doing very closely. Severus slowly slid the hospital nightgown over his head, but left his boxers on, not knowing if Harry had ever been with anyone before and not wanting to scare him. He leant down to pull Harry into a sitting position so he could remove the old t-shirt he was wearing.

Severus brushed his fingertips over the scars on Harry’s chest, exploring his mate leisurely. Some were obviously years old, gained when Harry had been a child. Others, bearing the tell-tale straight edges of hex marks, were much newer. He frowned as he found no evidence of spells stronger than those that could be cast by students, wondering if Harry had managed to get out of his battle with the Dark Lord completely unscathed. Unlikely as it was, Severus could find no reason to believe Harry had been touched by anything stronger than flying debris over the past few days. The questions piling up in his mind were driven away, however, as Harry’s fingers ghosted up his chest to drape around his shoulders. Severus was overwhelmed by a desire to punish those who had dared to hurt his mate, both magical and muggle. He felt a rush of gratitude through the bond as he looked down into Harry’s eyes and realised he must have projected his vaguely murderous feelings through the bond. The gratitude was followed swiftly by frustration as Harry’s mouth moved soundlessly.

“Shh,” Severus whispered, earning himself a small glare from Harry. He smiled. “I know.”

Harry frowned up at him, confusion draining through the bond. Severus smiled again and projected his own desire and need down the bond so Harry could know first-hand exactly what Severus was feeling. “As soon as the bond is sealed, you will be able to feel what I am feeling just the same as I can now feel what you are feeling.”

Harry lay back down and swiftly slid his jeans and boxers off, dropping them onto the floor beside the bed. He then sat back up and dragged Severus down on top of him again, allowing his hard cock to rub against Severus’s stomach. The pulsing in Severus’s head began again, stronger than before, and he knew it was time. He raised himself up above Harry and slid his own boxers off. He then allowed the Veela to take over; knowing the only way the bond could be sealed was by Veela magic.

The Veela came to the forefront immediately, but not in the same way it had shown itself in the hospital ward. Severus pushed himself up on to his knees to give the Veela the space it needed for the transformation. He kept a wary eye on Harry, watching for any signs of alarm as the transformation began.

The first change was Severus’s hair. It had always been long and greasy, but the Veela softened and lengthened it further, growing it down to Severus’s hips, but allowing it to stay black, rather than the usual Veela white-blonde. The second things to change were his eyes. Instead of his regular black, Severus felt an odd tingle as they transformed into what he knew was a bright, shimmering silver. He took a deep breath as the last of his transformation loomed. He had not allowed his wings to come forth in many years, knowing that only his true mate could appreciate them completely. Severus’s eyes closed as a light pressure built in his shoulder blades. He didn’t remember the wings hurting the last time they had appeared, but now he was not too sure. He opened his eyes and let the pent-up breath out in a whoosh as he felt the wings spreading out behind him. They had not hurt exactly, but it was not a comfortable feeling. He glanced down at Harry as he felt wonder mixed with something else flowing down the bond. He didn’t spare any time trying to work out what the second emotion was as he allowed his magnificent blue-black wings to spread out to their fullest extent. Severus knew that the Veela needed to display in front of his mate as a part of the bonding magic, but he found himself wishing desperately that he could simply bury himself deep inside Harry and seal the bond that way. The Veela wouldn’t allow him to take over, however, so he had to watch passively through his own eyes. Once the Veela was satisfied with his display, it allowed Severus to lay himself back down on top of Harry. Severus puffed out a breath, thankful that the Veela didn’t need to come out every time he wanted to be with Harry. 

He positioned himself above his mate, balancing on his knees and a forearm as he slid his other hand slowly down Harry’s stomach. Harry’s breath huffed out over him frantically as he arched up into Severus’s touch. Nails dug down into Severus’s back, trailing along the join between his back and wings, sending shivers of pleasure through his aching body. His fingers trailed down through the thick thatch of hair surrounding his mate’s swollen prick, but continued on down: Severus had one goal in mind and nothing was going to stop him now. He was thankful for the fact that they were both Veela, so there was no need for artificial lubrication as he slipped a finger inside Harry’s tight entrance. He could see Harry’s mouth working, but could only work out one word through the haze of lust now blurring his vision: “please.” He smiled as he slipped a second finger inside, hooking them both to rub against Harry’s prostate. Harry bucked beneath him, his steadily leaking cock rubbing against Severus’s stomach. Severus’s Veela prompted him to get a move on by pulsing through his head again, threatening to make the headache Harry had taken away with his surge of magical power return.

Now more than willing to move as fast as his Veela wanted, Severus raised himself onto his knees, removing his fingers from his mate. He moved his hips into position, rubbing his aching cock against Harry’s entrance. Harry arched his back in response, letting Severus know through the bond that he was more than ready for this. Severus chuckled as he grabbed Harry’s hips, raising him enough to make Severus’s entry comfortable for the both of them. The Veela preened a little at the raven-haired beauty spread before him as Severus looked down at Harry. He positioned himself at Harry’s entrance, holding his breath as he felt Harry stretching around him. Harry’s mouth opened in what Severus assumed was a silent scream or moan as he pressed himself forward into Harry’s tight passage. Severus tried to move slowly, allowing Harry to stretch around him, but found it incredibly difficult. He had waited so patiently for so long that all he wanted to do was slam home and keep moving until his claim was certain, but knew that he would have to go slow so as not to hurt his mate.

He let out a soft moan as he finally sheathed himself fully, fighting against every instinct that told him to start moving. He felt the Veela rejoicing as he realised that this was Harry’s first time: the feelings coming through to him from the bond had the feel of something Harry was experiencing for the first time, and the Veela cherished it, knowing that he would be Harry’s first and last. Harry squirmed beneath him and Severus could feel the mixture of pleasure and pain flowing down the bond. Severus bent his head to the base of Harry’s throat, unable to resist nibbling and sucking at the pulse point there until Harry let out a sigh and moved his hips upwards. Severus captured his mate’s mouth as he began to slowly thrust deep inside him. Harry’s hands explored all over Severus’s body as they moved together, the pressure building up inside faster than it ever had before.

Severus nearly lost his tightly-held control as Harry’s fingers started to thread through the silken feathers of his wings. He hissed and broke the kiss, his back arching as pleasure coursed through him. He projected what he was feeling through to Harry, whose eyes widened with surprise. He squeezed the join between the wings and Severus’s shoulder blades, causing Severus to buck and moan. The Veela surfaced again at that point, spreading the bonding magic through both of their bodies. This was the very first time Severus had allowed his self-control to slip this far, and he was desperately hoping Harry would finish soon, so the bond could be sealed. The Veela finished weaving the bonding magic just as Severus thought he couldn’t hold on any longer. He thrust deep into Harry, hitting his prostate again and again until Harry began to orgasm. He heard Harry let out a small gasp, felt him arch and his body begin to spasm. Severus felt the bond sealing itself as hot jets of Harry’s cum coated both of their stomachs.

“Oh, my God!” Harry moaned, his voice returning now that the bond had been sealed.

Severus didn’t allow himself any time to think about Harry’s getting his voice back, but focussed on taking his own pleasure. He thrust deep inside his mate, his nails digging into his hips. It only took three more thrusts before Severus was following Harry into the bliss of orgasm. Severus projected what he was feeling down through their bond, allowing Harry to feel the waves of pleasure washing over him as he held still, enjoying the final fulfilment of their bond. Once the bonding was complete, Severus collapsed down beside Harry, gathering the smaller man into his arms. He cocooned them both in his wings, holding Harry as close to his chest as he could get. Harry let out a small sigh as he wrapped his arms around Severus’s middle and nuzzled into his neck. The last thought Severus had before falling into mindless post-orgasmic bliss was that he was finally safe, finally home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry this has been so long coming! Bushfire season has started early here and my internet has been down thanks to some bastards setting fires. I'll try to not leave any more chapters for longer than a week.
> 
> Oh, and I know the whole "silent Harry" thing has been either annoying or confusion some poeple, but I swear it has a pay-off later in the story!

Severus awoke the next morning to find Harry sprawled on his stomach across the bed, their legs tangled together with the sheets. Severus’s Veela had obviously retreated sometime during the night, if his lack of wings was anything to go by. Murky green sunlight filtered in through the curtains neither of them had thought to close the night before. Severus could tell it was at least mid-morning, judging by the angle of the sun’s rays coming through the lake above the dungeon rooms. He could sense Harry’s emotional state in the back of his mind, the contentment and satisfaction of last night still warming Harry’s limbs even in sleep. He knew that as soon as Harry was awake he would have to explain a few things, as it seemed Poppy had not been able to get through to him in the hospital ward.

He decided to allow Harry the rest he obviously needed and began to gently disentangle his legs from the sheets. Harry mumbled softly as Severus covered him back over after casting a silent cleansing charm over the both of them, cleaning up the remains of their nocturnal activities from the night before. He grabbed a stray blue-black feather from near Harry’s hand before sliding to the edge of the bed. Running the feather through his fingers immediately brought back the sensation of Harry’s fingers threading through his wings the night before and he smiled as he moved quietly over to his wardrobe. He had been dreaming for the past 21 years what it would be like if he finally found his mate. He had never once thought, in a single one of those fantasies, that the simple act of having his wings massaged could produce the kinds of sensations he had experienced last night. Or that those sensations could be brought about by Harry bloody Potter. There was no denying it though, he thought as he pulled on a pair of black trousers and a white button-up shirt: they fit together perfectly.

He padded silently on bare feet out to his combined sitting and dining room. There were definitely questions he needed answering, and he knew Harry must be confused about a lot of what was happening to him as well. He pulled on a rope, summoned a house-elf, gave it an order for breakfast for two and slumped down into a comfortable lounge chair in front of the fire. Many people had told him that his dungeon rooms were far too gloomy, that he should light more torches to take away the green lighting caused by the lake above him, but Severus had always liked the gloom. He hoped Harry wouldn’t try to make him change the rooms much, or insist that they move to another, brighter, part of the castle. He had known since he was a small child that he wasn’t the kind of person people liked looking at, and the hard years he had put in as a spy, combined with the many scars he had picked up along the way, had made him even less physically appealing. He could see it in the faces of everyone in the Great Hall at mealtimes, his students as they avoided looking him in the eyes, even his colleagues over the years: that slight curling of a top lip, the shifty eyes, a slight flinch as he came near. He couldn’t bring himself to face that kind of reaction from his mate, not at this stage, so he left the room dark, the only source of light the flickering fire and dim green coming from his windows.

As soon as he started to relax a bit, questions began to form in his mind. _How had Harry defeated the Dark Lord_ – no, Severus – _Voldemort? How had no one, not even Dumbledore, known that Harry had Veela blood? Why had Harry not been able to speak the night before? What was going to happen to him now that the war was finally over? Would he be allowed to stay as a Professor, or would they try to stick him in Azkaban with the rest of the Death Eaters who had managed to survive? For that matter, who_ had _survived?_ His attention was dragged away from his questions as the house-elf reappeared, carrying a tray laden with breakfast foods.

A small noise attracted Severus’s attention immediately. Harry stood in the doorway to the bedroom, wearing his rumpled clothing from the day before. Severus’s stomach flipped as he got his first good look at his mate in the relatively better light than last night. Nerves unsettled him as Harry moved slowly from the bedroom, verdant eyes magnified by the glasses sitting a bit crookedly on his nose. He had no idea how Harry would react to this new restructuring of his life, of how he viewed himself. A small, nagging part of him knew there was a possibility that this relationship would turn out to be in name only: that now that they had sealed the bond, Harry would want nothing to do with Severus again. He also knew that this bond could very well turn out to be one-sided, just like the one Fleur Delacour shared with Bill Weasley, or his mother had shared with his father. It would be logical for Harry to blame him for everything that had gone wrong in his life as of late, for him to hate the very sight of him. _Logical, but not entirely true_ , another small voice whispered in the back of his mind. He pushed it away and focussed on his mate. Severus took a deep breath and stood, ready to face any kind of accusation Harry threw his way.

“Harry.” Severus’s heart pounded in his ears as Harry stopped just out of arm’s reach.

“S - Severus,” Harry whispered. “I, uh, don’t really know...”

Severus clenched his fists, trying to stop them from trembling. _Here it comes: he’s going to reject you._

Bright green eyes met his directly as Harry gave a frustrated grunt. “What the fuck is happening?!”

Relief flooded through Severus’s veins as he tried to unclench his hands; he hadn’t realised he had tensed up so much. “Perhaps we should sit down?” He indicated the breakfast table the now-gone house-elf had set.

Harry grinned, sending butterflies stirring crazily through Severus’s stomach. His Veela crowed silently at the sight of those lips smiling at him. They moved over to the table, Harry taking the chair closest to the fire. The reflections cast strange shadows over his features, and made his glasses glint brightly. Severus sat gracefully in the chair opposite his mate, watching him closely as he started in on a piece of toast.

“What is it you would like to know?” he asked, forgetting completely that there were things he had wanted to ask Harry himself as he watched Harry’s mouth working.

“Madam Pomfrey tells me I’m a Veela.” Green eyes met black as if looking for a confirmation. Harry continued after Severus nodded. “But neither of my parents were Veela, at least not in the same way as Fleur, or her mother, so I want to know how that happened? How did no one know that I was part-Veela, or that one of my parents was part-Veela?”

“Unfortunately, that is one of the things I cannot currently answer.” Severus found himself wishing Harry would not stare at his hands quite that intensely as he made himself a cup of tea. “We shall have to look back into your family history to find where this Veela ancestor came from. Usually they are from very old wizarding families, so it is very possible it was on your father’s side, rather than your mother’s. What else?”

Harry jumped guiltily as he realised Severus was watching him watching Severus’s hands. He lowered his eyes, looking up at Severus through a black barrier of lashes. “Er... I was also wondering if you knew why I couldn’t speak last night?”

“Alas, again you ask something I do not have an answer to as of yet. Perhaps it was simple exhaustion, perhaps it had something to do with the bonding,” Severus took a small sip of tea to cover the smile that threatened as Harry blushed. “We can have Poppy look you over if it continues. I wonder if you could answer something for me now?” He waited until Harry had nodded silently before taking a steadying breath. _You can do this, Severus. You have to know._ “Could you tell me just how it is that you defeated The Da – Voldemort?”

“It was those memories you gave me,” Harry replied, grabbing another piece of toast. “As soon as I knew all of that, I knew what had to be done.”

“Memories? I have never _willingly_ given you access to my memories,” Severus replied, unable to prevent the not-quite-subtle jab at their aborted Occlumency lessons.

“Sorry,” Harry whispered, a blush reddening his cheeks again. “Madam Pomfrey said you were probably delirious. She thinks that the Horcrux in Nagini made her much more potent than those types of snakes usually are, and that it gave you hallucinations. It was just as we got the stretcher Hermione had conjured to the entrance hall. You grabbed me and wouldn’t let go until I took the memories. That was when you passed out properly. A lot of the memories are very fuzzy, but the ones I needed, the ones of Dumbledore and what he had done, as well as what you had done, were clear enough so that I could understand what I had to do. I went to the Forest when he called me, and let him kill the Horcrux inside me. After that it was all down to everyone else being able to hold off his army while we fought. I, er, I actually wanted to thank you.”

Severus blinked, a little stunned at being jolted out of the almost-trance Harry’s soft voice had placed him under. “Thank me, Harry?” he murmured quietly.

“Yeah, the memories you gave me ab-about my mother...” he trailed off, looking uncertain. Realisation hit Severus like a freight train. _Lily._ “They gave me the perfect ammunition to throw back at him, to knock him just slightly off-balance. That, and the fact that we managed to save you.”

“Harry, about your mother,” Severus began, not knowing what he was going to say, but knowing he had to at least try to explain. He felt his heart constrict at the look of pain that crossed Harry’s features. There was something hovering just below the surface of Harry’s emotions, something Severus couldn’t quite grasp, but he pushed it aside in favour of telling Harry about he and Lily. “I know I must have shown you how we met, and you already know why we stopped speaking, but you have to realise something. While I _did_ love Lily, more deeply than she ever knew, it was never really romantic for me.” He had to stop himself from blanching as Harry levelled a disbelieving glare at him. “I am fully aware of how it looked, and your father never believed me either, but I had already realised that I was not interested in women by the time they got together. I loved Lily simply because she was the first person, and probably the only since then, to truly care about what happened to me. She was my best friend, my _only_ friend, for many years, both before Hogwarts, and after we started attending.”

Severus paused and frowned as he heard Harry mumble something under his breath. His Veela flared up, trying to stop him from snapping straight back into glaring-arsehole-teacher mode. Apparently it would not be so easy to fit themselves into a ‘normal’ relationship as he had hoped. Harry looked up at him, his mouth set in a determined line. He rose slowly from his chair, eyes locked on Severus’s face, to move around the table. He placed both hands on Severus’s shoulders and stared down into his eyes. “My mother was not the only person to care about what happens to you.”

Severus’s breath hitched as a blush heated Harry’s face again. He felt his Veela nudge him into action, and raised a hand to cup Harry’s face. “She wasn’t?” He knew he was baiting Harry, but had the sudden urge to hear the words.

“No,” Harry whispered, just barely audible. He swayed closer, stopping just a few millimetres before their lips touched. “No, she wasn’t.”

“Hmm,” Severus hummed in pleasure, his Veela revelling in the effect he had on his mate. His fingers traced along Harry’s jaw, brushed over the incredibly tempting lips, now open and panting slightly. “I believe I may need a bit of proof of that claim.”

He was rewarded by Harry swaying forward and pressing into him. Hot lips parted to allow his tongue access as soon as he asked. Harry pressed forward, straddling Severus’s hips in a gesture reminiscent of how they had connected in the hospital ward. He registered briefly how quickly Harry was able to get him all hot and bothered, before he grasped his mate by the hips and rose, moving them both over to the lounge in front of the fire.

He lay Harry down and pressed down on top of him, not quite willing to break contact just yet. Harry moaned into his mouth as Severus nudged his legs apart with his thigh. He sent a shaking hand down in between them, fumbled with the zip on Harry’s jeans before wrapping his fingers around the straining hardness between his mate’s legs.

“Oh – oh my God!” Harry arched beneath him as Severus slid the garments down his thighs.

_Not silent anymore. Fascinating_ , was the last coherent thought he had before lowering himself to wrap his lips around the leaking head of Harry’s cock. He swirled his tongue around once before dipping his head and taking Harry into his mouth fully. Harry bucked beneath him, causing him to chuckle a little. He gripped Harry’s hips in an attempt to steady his partner, knowing he wouldn’t last very long past Harry at this rate. He had never been with anyone so responsive before. Even the night before, when he had not been able to hear what Harry had apparently been screaming (if his current volumes were anything to go by), he had responded so beautifully to every touch, every caress that he had had Severus on the edge much earlier than he had been for a while now. He added his fingers to the mix, wrapping them around Harry’s shaft as he licked up the dribbles of pre-cum.

“Oh, fuck yes!” Harry’s hands flew to Severus’s hair, knotting painfully as he alternately sucked and stroked him towards completion. “S – Sev... Severus, I’m... c – coming.”

With a last swipe of his tongue along the thick vein on the underside of Harry’s throbbing erection, Severus brought his head up, swallowing down the hot spurts of Harry’s orgasm before looking up at his mate. Harry pulled on his hair, dragging him up into a heated kiss, his tongue lapping at the spots of white at the edge of Severus’s mouth. He brought his knee up slowly, eyes fixed on Severus’s face. Severus could only look down in shock as Harry’s softly massaging thigh brought him to completion. He buried his face into his mate’s shoulder, nipping gently as he collapsed beside Harry on the lounge.

_Maybe_ , he thought a few minutes later, after he had somewhat recovered. _Maybe getting dressed today wasn’t such a good idea._


	5. Chapter 5

They passed the next few days in blissful peace, simply enjoying being together. They had spent as many hours just talking, getting to know each other, as they had in the bedroom, learning exactly where to touch the other to bring about the best responses. They had discovered, much to Harry’s chagrin, that certain acts would cause him lose the ability to speak. Severus had wanted to take Harry straight to the hospital wing, to get him checked out, but Harry had refused, using the excuse that Madam Pomfrey had enough on her plate without him annoying her, and that his voice always returned the second he started to orgasm. Severus held back telling him that he liked it when he could hear Harry scream and moan; liked knowing he could reduce his mate to incomprehension through a few simple touches.

Not every day had been spent in delighting in their newfound carnal knowledge of each other, however. Bitter resentments still bubbled dangerously close to the surface of each of their minds at times: Severus still hurt over Harry’s father and his friend’s treatment of him at school; Harry still got riled up over Severus’s treatment of him and his friends while they had still been students. It had been after one of these fights that they had discovered, this time much to Severus’s extreme annoyance, that his Veela would not allow him to push Harry to the brink of leaving. Severus had made one too many caustic remarks about James and Sirius, provoking Harry to retort with just as much bile as Severus had been spouting. Their screaming match ended when Severus’s Veela had forcibly taken control, sending him to his knees, begging Harry not to leave. He had not resented it the next morning, when he awoke feeling completely sated, but at the time, Severus would have given anything to simply be able to let his temper loose.

He was jolted awake on the fifth day of their solitude by his wards letting him know that there was someone knocking on his door. He got out of bed silently, dressed, and made his way quietly to the door leading to the classroom beyond his private chambers. He did not want to bother Harry with this if he did not have to, so the thought of waking his mate never even entered his mind. He took a deep breath as he reached the door leading from the classroom to the dungeon corridor and let it out slowly. He had a good idea about who it was waiting for him outside the door, and he was not looking forward to what the man had to say. He opened the door to find Minerva McGonagall standing just to the left of the doorway, Kingsley Shacklebolt standing behind her.

“Severus,” she greeted him, a strange sparkle in her eyes.

“Minerva,” he replied cautiously. The memory of their battle in the corridor before his flight through the classroom window flashed through his mind, and he briefly wondered if he was to be taken away to Azkaban right now.

“Severus,” Kingsley’s deep voice echoed through the apparently empty dungeons. “I was wondering if I could have a word with both you and Harry?”

Severus’s Veela immediately prickled, letting him know that there was no way it would allow Harry to be interviewed by Kingsley without him. He stepped through to the corridor, pointedly closing the door behind him with a small click. “I see I have the honour of addressing our new Minister,” Severus replied silkily. His avoidance of the question was more of an attempt to get his Veela under control by being his normal sarcastic self, rather than an attempt to nettle Kingsley. Thankfully, Kingsley appeared to not notice the tone in Severus’s voice. “May I enquire as to the reason for my interrogation?”

Kingsley’s rich laugh boomed around the dungeon. “‘Interrogation’, Snape? We were all witness to Harry’s final fight with Voldemort: everyone knows you were working under Dumbledore’s orders. In fact, Harry seemed to take particular pleasure in announcing it straight to that bastard’s face, telling him that one of his most trusted Death Eaters was actually working for our side! The look of pride on his face as he declared to me after the end that he was your mate, well, I’ve never seen anything like it, despite the fact that I was fairly certain he had no absolutely notion of what had happened to him.”

Severus could feel his Veela practically purring in pleasure, and had to fight to keep the noise from coming out his mouth. He was still wary of allowing Kingsley anywhere near Harry, but after a quick glance to Minerva, who nodded slightly, he silently re-opened the door and waved them in. He led them through to his private rooms, indicating that they should take the two lounge chairs beside the fire.

“Tell me, Shacklebolt, how does a lowly ex-Death Eater merit a visit from the Minister for Magic himself?” His voice was pitched dangerously low, something both his guests seemed to pick up on immediately. He stood behind the lounge, his hands gripping the back tightly.

Kingsley, however, was apparently not one to be intimidated. He stood up straight and looked Severus directly in the eyes as he spoke. “ _Acting_ Minister for Magic at the moment, actually,” he began, but stopped when Severus released the back of the chair.

Moving around the lounge, Severus barely held back a snarl. “If you think you can come in here and take him away,” he began, before Kingsley held up a hand.

“I am fully aware of the situation here, Snape, and I am _not_ here to interfere. The Ministry does not prevent bonded couples being together. However, if you don’t get your Veela under control, I will be forced to take action against you, and I do not want to have to explain to the Wizengamot why I had to subdue a War hero.” He looked like he wanted to continue, but his attention was grabbed by a small noise from the doorway to the bedroom.

“Whassgoinon?” Harry was standing in the doorway, rubbing at bleary eyes. “Professor, Kingsley!” He rushed forward and hugged Minerva around the middle, causing the dignified old witch to blush to the roots of her hair.

Severus bit back a gasp as pain jabbed at his temple. Harry was grinning at Kingsley as they shook hands, and Severus’s Veela did not like it at all. His hands clenched at his sides as he watched Harry exchanging pleasantries with the Minister and new Headmistress. Blood pounded in his ears as he fought to get his Veela back under control. He could see Kingsley casting doubtful glances his way as he stood speaking to his mate, _his Harry_ , but Severus held still, not causing any trouble. He didn’t have to wait long before Harry turned to him, forcing him back onto the lounge with gentle hands placed on his shoulders. He saw Kingsley and Minerva looking prudently away as Harry sank down onto the lounge beside him.

“Morning,” Harry whispered as he leant in to press their lips together. His fingers kneaded into Severus’s shoulders as Severus forced his Veela to retreat. Severus took a deep breath, inhaling Harry’s scent as his own hands travelled up the back of his mate. As soon as he was sure Severus was back in control, Harry glanced up at their guests. “Do you have time for tea?”

Minerva smiled at them both, Harry sitting comfortably under Severus’s arm. “Thank you, Potter, but we are actually here on official Ministry business. Kingsley cannot stay long, and I have to get back to helping with the cleanup of the school.”

“‘Official Ministry business’ does not sound good, Minerva,” Severus mumbled, before realising just what Kingsley had said to him earlier. “Shacklebolt, did I hear you correctly? ‘War hero’?”

Kingsley’s deep chuckle reverberated around the chilly room, vibrating through Severus’s bones. “Yes, Snape, I said ‘War hero’. Each of the members of the Order are to receive an Order of Merlin, First Class. As Harry here was so good as to shout it during the final minutes of the Battle, every single one of us now knows the role you played in keeping Voldemort down, and the Ministry are more than willing to reward such incredible bravery.”

Severus froze, the hand that had been stroking languidly down Harry’s back freezing in place. He glanced down at his mate’s excited face, allowing the information to sink in for a few seconds. “An Order of Merlin, First Class?” His voice sounded strange even to his own ears; slightly breathless and deeper than usual. He cleared his throat as he felt a rush of desire come down the bond, before forcibly dragging his gaze back to Minerva and Kingsley.

“Yes, but unfortunately, I also have some news that will most likely prove distressing,” Kingsley added with a slight glance to Minerva. “The Ministry will be unable to completely exonerate you for what happened during the War. They are insisting on a trial.”

“What? No!” Severus felt a jolt of panic as Harry stood quickly. The anger flowing through him would have been obvious even without their connection. “You just said yourself: Severus is a War hero. You can’t put him through a trial as if he was just like every other Death Eater! What if the Wizengamot don’t believe he was working for Dumbledore? What if they...” He trailed off, but it was obvious to Severus that he was worried about him being thrown in Azkaban. Harry shook his head, as if to clear it of the thoughts.

“Harry, I can assure you this trial is merely a formality. There is absolutely no way I shall allow them to convict Severus, or any other innocent Order member they decide to put through a trial. I simply have to allow the public see that this Ministry is stronger than the last. In fact,” he added, looking like a big thought had just struck him. “Harry, you should testify. You have the memories we need to show everyone, and this way you can be there, in the room, as everything is happening.”

Harry’s hands clenched by his sides, and his breath came in harsh gasps as he looked between the two of them. “If they think they can just come and take him from me,” he began, unknowingly echoing Severus’s own words of a few minutes before.

Severus stood up behind Harry, placing a calming hand on his mate’s shoulder. Harry half-turned, allowing Severus to see the almost wild look of panic in his eyes, before sinking down to the lounge with his head in his hands. Severus fought a quick battle with his overly-protective Veela, winning out this time, so he could calmly face his ex-colleagues sitting across from him. He felt a surge of pride as his voice held steady, despite the fact that his Veela was gently urging him to rip Kingsley’s head off. “Is that all?”

Minerva shifted uncomfortably. “I hate to ask this of the two of you, but I made a promise. The Malfoy’s are to have their trials the same day as you, Severus. I spoke to Narcissa Malfoy yesterday, and she has requested that Harry testify at their trials. She said something about Harry owing her a life debt?”

Harry nodded miserably, his head still in his now-trembling hands. “Yes,” he whispered. “Yes, I owe her. She lied directly to Voldemort’s face in the Forest, told him I was dead after he had killed the Horcrux. Even if it was just so she could get to Draco, she saved my life. I probably also owe Draco, since he didn’t give me away to Bellatrix at Malfoy Manor around Easter.”

Severus’s heart ached as Harry raised his head, his eyes showing the anguish running through his veins. He didn’t even attempt to fight the urge to sit down next to Harry and place a comforting arm around his shaking shoulders. Harry sagged against him, burying his face into Severus’s neck. He glanced up to see a slight look of shock on Kingsley’s face, but it was covered very well, very quickly. “Tell Narcissa she’ll get her wish. Harry will testify at their trials. I will consent to make an appearance at any trial the Ministry wishes to put me through, but I also have a request.”

Kingsley looked apprehensively over to Minerva, who simply shrugged. “What kind of request?”

“That once we have both done our duty to the Ministry, they will leave us alone. I do not know if I shall be allowed to stay on here at Hogwarts as the Potions Master, or if Harry still wishes to become an Auror, but no matter what happens after the trial, we wish to be left alone.” He felt Harry grinning against his skin as Kingsley considered his request.

“I believe I could manage that, as long as it is what Harry wishes, as well.”

Harry lifted his head, the grin leaving his face as he turned to Kingsley. “All I have ever wanted is to be normal, to not have people staring at me constantly and to be happy.” One of his hands found its way to Severus’s thigh, squeezing gently, just out of Minerva and Kingsley’s line of sight. “I already have one of those; I would like to try out the first two, if that is possible.”

A broad smile broke out on Minerva’s face as she watched the two of them, her eyes glittering with what Severus suspected were tears. Apparently ignoring the fact that, technically, Harry was addressing Kingsley and not her, she rose to her feet and began to organise everyone. “We shall, of course, keep both the press and the Ministry off your back as much as we possibly can, Harry. Severus, I shall expect to see you back in the Potions Master position as soon as the new term starts. Kingsley, I believe we have the answers we came for, perhaps we should be going?”

Kingsley appeared to be struggling to keep a smile from his face as he stood. “Of course, Minerva. Harry, I will owl you the day to be at the Ministry. Severus, may I have a private word?”

Apprehension prickled the hairs on the back of Severus’s neck, and he could see tension making Harry’s shoulders rigid. He glanced over to Minerva, who seemed to understand his silent plea. She moved over to Harry, asking him to accompany her to the door. Harry looked back to Severus, who gave him a small, encouraging smile, before allowing himself to be led away by his former Head of House. Severus rose to his feet, ready to face whatever Kingsley had in store for him.

“No need to look like I’m about to drag you off to the Dementors, Snape, all I want is to be able to speak to you without running the risk of being hexed by Harry. I don’t think I have ever met another submissive Veela who is so protective of his mate,” Kingsley added thoughtfully, obviously giving Severus a chance to possibly explain Harry’s behaviour.

Severus shrugged, not knowing what to tell him. “As I have not had the opportunity to get to know any other Veela, besides my own mother, I would not know if his behaviour is any different from what it should be.”

Kingsley eyed him for a few seconds before giving a shrug of his own. “I just needed to warn you that, as this will be a proper Death Eater trial, there will be Dementors there, as I have not yet had the opportunity to change the laws governing how the trials are conducted. I will attempt to have them as far away from you as possible, but it is something that I do not have the power to change at the moment.”

“Is that all you wanted to say to me? Why could you not have said that in front of Harry?” Severus frowned at the other man, who was smiling at him in a very irritating manner.

“Would _you_ have liked to run the risk of having Harry Potter hex you into a small puddle of goo for telling his mate you are going to have to subject him to the influence of the Dementors, even if it is to prove his innocence?” The smile turned into a full grin at the look on Severus’s face.

Severus was saved from replying by Harry bouncing in through the door that led to the classroom, his eyes bright. “Kingsley, our new Headmistress says to tell you: ‘If you do not get your arse out here right now, I am going to have to tell people about what happened that Christmas.’ Which Christmas, Kingsley?” He grinned at Kingsley, causing Severus to bristle with jealousy.

“Nothing to concern you, Potter,” Kingsley grinned back. “I shall be speaking to both of you gentlemen very soon,” he added as he swept quickly out the door.

Severus turned to see Harry facing him with an expectant grin on his face. “She offered me a job, Sev.” Harry could hardly contain his excitement, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “But, I told her I had to talk to you about it before I could say yes or no.”

Realisation jolted through Severus’s body as he stared at his mate. _The Defence job_. He took a deep breath, not really surprised to find that the idea of taking the position held bad memories for him. He gathered Harry into his arms and sank down onto the lounge behind him. “And what could your old Potions Professor possibly have to do with any decision you make?”

Harry wriggled in Severus’s lap, before looking up at him solemnly. “ _My_ Potions Professor,” he whispered, stoking the flame in Severus’s stomach. “She offered me the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. She said that they have no one to take it, now that you’re taking over for Professor Slughorn, and that this way we could stay close.”

“Do you _want_ to take it, Harry?” Severus was trying very hard not to be distracted by the thrumming of the pulse in Harry’s throat, so close to his lips that if he just leaned in that little bit...

Harry nodded, his eyes locked on Severus’s. “I do. I think it would be a brilliant job, and I think I could teach them how to properly defend themselves, and like Professor McGonagall said, it will keep us closer than if I still wanted to be an Auror.”

“Hmm,” Severus replied distractedly, giving in to his baser instincts and pulling Harry close enough to latch onto the hot pulse point. Harry’s head fell back with a deep moan, turning the flame into a raging inferno in seconds.

“S-Sev... _God_... No, trying to – to have... proper conversation.”

Letting out a small grunt of frustration, Severus lifted his head from Harry’s throat. If Harry could still form full sentences, he wasn’t going to let up until he had had his say. Severus sat back against the lounge and grabbed Harry’s gently rocking hips, forcing him to stay still. The blazing green gaze dropped to Severus’s face, causing his cock to harden even further, uncomfortably pressed against Harry’s arse. 

“Merlin, Harry, you can have anything you want, _take_ whatever you want, as long as you let me...” He flexed his fingers on Harry’s hips, barely biting back a moan as he felt Harry twitching against his stomach.

“Yes... yes,” Harry moaned, and for the next hour or so, proceeded to take everything he wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

_“Severus... please... please...”_

_Charity Burbage’s corpse crashed down on the table in front of Severus, causing Draco Malfoy to fall out of his chair onto the floor. The corpse’s head turned to face Severus, the mouth opened, emitting a high-pitched squeal as it morphed into Nagini._

_“Tell me, Severus, why you did not return after I called all my faithful to my side?”_

_Nagini slithered around Severus’s legs as Voldemort stood before him, red eyes glittering dangerously._

_“I could not risk leaving Dumbledore’s side until he sent me to you, My Lord. By waiting, he now thinks I am his spy.” Severus’s heart pounded in his ears, making it difficult to hear. The image of Voldemort shimmered, seeming to vanish then reappear a second later._

_He heard a faint scream as Voldemort raised his wand. “Avada...”_

Severus sat bolt upright in bed, wand in hand, ready to defend himself. He pointed it at the first thing that moved, his free hand going around the neck of the man before him. The man grunted a wordless protest as Severus tightened his grip. Fingers scrabbled at his hand, their nails digging thin red lines over his knuckles. Bright green eyes flashed in the dull firelight flickering in through the open doorway from the living room. _Harry!_ Severus dropped his wand as if he had been burned, his fingers releasing Harry’s throat.

“S-Sev,” Harry croaked, gasping for breath. One of his hands ran through Severus’s sweat-dampened hair, the other massaging his red throat.

A low moan escaped from Severus as he bent double, his arms wrapped around his chest. Fear pounded through his veins, making him shiver. He could barely breathe: the nightmare combined with the knowledge that he had nearly killed his mate choked the oxygen out of him.

“It’s ok, he’s gone,” Harry whispered close to his ear, his voice harsh. Guilt wracked Severus’s body, causing him to tremble beneath Harry’s touch. “You’re safe. You’re safe.”

“No I... I could have... I nearly...” His Veela was prodding him to accept the comfort Harry was offering, his hand still running through Severus’s hair. “I shouldn’t be near you until...”

“No,” Harry cut him off. “Look, McGonagall knew this would happen, as soon as Kingsley started owling us both regularly. It has something to do with the stress. The closer we get to the trials, the more likely we are to get nightmares. Both of us,” he added when Severus gave him a _look_.

“The trials are two days away: if I were to start having nightmares due to stress, they would have started long before now. What would have happened tonight if I hadn’t recognised you in time?” The fear was now fading, to be replaced with shame at his loss of control. He had not allowed himself to be completely free and open with Harry yet, despite the fact that it had been a full month since the end of the War. His own natural cautiousness, combined with his years as a spy, and that nagging _something_ he kept sensing beneath Harry’s emotions prevented him from being able to fully relax. He had tried examining whatever it was he kept sensing, but had so far been unable to pinpoint just what it was. “No, Harry, you go back to sleep. I know you’ve been tired lately; don’t try to deny it. You will sleep easier if you are not in danger of being hexed in your sleep.”

He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, grabbed a loose robe and moved out into the living room without looking back. He knew he had to get this under control, and it would be much easier if he did not have Harry lying nearly naked beside him, providing a virtually irresistible temptation. He ran a hand through his now-knotted hair, smoothing out the kinks Harry had created in an attempt to calm him down. A glance at the clock over the mantle told him it was just before 5 in the morning. Technically he knew it was early enough that he could simply lay down on the lounge and catch another hour or two of sleep, but it would be easier to just stay up now. He sagged down onto the lounge and pulled a heavy book towards him. It was a wizarding genealogy book he had found in the library. He and Hermione Granger had started work on figuring out where Harry’s Veela ancestry came from two weeks ago, but they were no closer to discovering even which side of his family held the elusive Veela genes. He had found that, now that she was not his student, he got along with Hermione quite well. She had been able to distract him sufficiently enough from the fact that Harry was gadding about the castle with Weasley, helping with the repairs.

A muffled “For fuck’s sake!” distracted him from the complicated family tree sitting in front of him. He gave a small smile, knowing Harry was about to storm out of the bedroom in a huff. His mate was nothing, if not predictable.

“Severus Snape, you stubborn bastard!” The bedroom door slammed open and Harry stomped the few steps to stand in front of Severus, eyebrows drawn together in a fair imitation of Severus’s own best scowl. Severus calmly put the book aside and sat back, admiring the move of muscle over Harry’s lightly muscled thighs as he began to pace back and forth in front of him. “Ok, so I knew things weren’t going to be easy between us; things with you never are. But this shutting down when you should be talking to me is unbelievably frustrating! We’re never going to have a ‘normal’ relationship, I get that, I really do, but you’re not making it any easier by pushing me away when I know I could help you! Just... Can you tell me _why_ you don’t trust me?”

The look of pleading Harry was giving him ratcheted up Severus’s guilt again. He had been jealous, possessive and overly-protective even before he had realised Harry was his mate. In fact, it had been these qualities, as much as the knowledge that he had a mate out there somewhere, which had driven away his two previous lovers. His experiences with spying for Dumbledore had made him unlikely to be able to trust anyone, apparently even the one man in the world he was supposed to be able to trust implicitly. They were yet more defects to be added on top of the ones he had known he possessed since he was a small child. Severus Snape: ugly and uninteresting, with a jealous streak as long as the Thames. He sighed, knowing there was no way he would be able to give Harry a satisfying explanation.

“It’s not that I do not trust you, Harry, but you have to understand that I have had no one I could speak to about anything for so long, that this will be a very difficult habit to break. Just like your annoyingly Gryffindor-ish propensity for getting yourself into dangerous situations,” he added, hoping that the unveiled hint at a small accident Harry had had the other day would be enough to distract him from this line of questioning. Apparently Harry had things on his mind that could distract the both of them.

Severus gasped as Harry landed in his lap. Unsurprised at this sudden change in attitude, he opened his mouth to allow Harry access. He put these moments down to the fact that Harry was nearly 18, and his hormones were driving him crazy. They surfaced a few minutes later, panting with unsatisfied desire.

“I’m sorry, Sev; I dunno why I’ve been so bloody horny recently,” Harry gasped, rolling his hips. “You don’t mind, do you?”

Severus just barely held back a chuckle as he slid his hands down to the waistband of Harry’s boxers. “I do believe there is not a man alive who would mind satisfying their carnal needs once a day, Potter.”

“Trust you to complicate getting laid, Sev,” Harry’s delighted laugh rang out through the dungeon. He allowed Severus to strip him of his boxers after he had yanked the robe over Severus’s head. Severus would have been happy simply going for it there and then, but Harry evidently had other ideas.

“Show me your wings,” he whispered. His fingers trailed down Severus’s back, aligned with lips that blazed a hot path down his chest. He slid backwards off Severus’s lap, automatically assuming he would get exactly what he wanted.

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear the haze of lust from his eyes, Severus stared up at his mate. “My wings?”

“Mmmhmm, you know; those big black things that spout from your back? I wanna see them again.”

Severus looked up at Harry in wonder. Most people, in his experience, would find it disturbing that their lover could issue a pair of enormous wings from their back. He gave himself a second to wonder how he had managed to find one of the few who could completely accept all his eccentricities, before moving onto his knees in front of his mate. He closed his eyes, concentrating on only bringing the wings out, without the other changes inherent to his transformation. He heard a gasp as they spread out behind him and opened his eyes.

“You’re beautiful.”

A bitter chuckle escaped from Severus before he could bite it back. “I have been called many things, Harry, but ‘beautiful’ is nowhere near the top of that list.”

“Good. Means less competition for me.”

Before Severus could respond to that outrageous remark, Harry was on his knees as well, hands weaving slowly through the feathers of Severus’s wings. Shifting to face the fire so Harry could have better access, Severus allowed his eyes to slide shut again, giving himself up to the new sensations. Harry’s deft fingers threaded between the never-before-touched feathers, sending shudders of pleasure through Severus’s body.

“Like this, do you?” Harry laughed at Severus’s unintelligible groan of confirmation. “Think I could make you come like this?”

“God, yes,” Severus moaned, knowing he was closer than he really should be. “But only if you don’t want...”

Harry’s laugh echoed around again when Severus almost whimpered at the loss of his fingers. “Oh, I want.”

Unwilling to waste time now that he had been deprived of the one source of stimulation he was getting, Severus spun around, pressing Harry back against the lounge. He spent a few seconds allowing Harry to kiss him, but moved to turn his mate around soon after. He bent him down over the edge of the lounge, one hand steadying his jerking hips. The other hand slipped down to press a finger gently inside Harry’s tight passage. He got in as far as his second knuckle before Harry pressed back onto him, taking his finger in fully and moaning for more. Severus smiled as he slipped a second finger inside, hooking them to rub against Harry’s prostate. A third finger had Harry thrusting his hips against the soft black leather of the lounge. His mate gave a small moan of protest as the fingers left him, which was cut off as soon as Severus positioned his weeping cock against Harry’s entrance. His mouth moved, but no sound came out yet again.

A brief thought about having to convince Harry to get himself checked out by Madam Pomfrey was the last full thought Severus had as he plunged deep into his mate. He held onto Harry’s hips to prevent him from thrusting against the lounge as he settled inside him. Giving Harry just enough time to adjust to him, Severus began thrusting shallowly, slowly, enjoying the waves of lust washing down to him through the bond with each thrust. Harry did not allow this to last long, though. He reached back and grabbed hold of Severus’s hips, forcing him to move faster, deeper, squeezing himself around Severus as their pace quickened. Normally, Severus would have been embarrassed at the short amount of time it took for him to come, but attributed it to Harry’s desire to work him up by massaging his wings. As it was, Harry came a few seconds after him, his voice back fully as he screamed his release. He collapsed against Harry’s back, his breath coming in short gasps. Harry wriggled out from beneath him after a few minutes, leaving Severus feeling a little cold, but satisfied enough to not begrudge his mate his need to breathe properly.

“Merlin, I feel good,” Harry moaned. He stretched his arms up over his head, watching Severus watching him.

Unable to resist the opportunity Harry had left wide open, Severus gave him a wicked grin as he grabbed his arse. “Yes, Potter, you do.”

*~*

“Professor, are you absolutely sure this Veela was on Lily’s side of the family?” Hermione Granger sat at the small breakfast table in Severus’s living room, pouring over one of the many genealogy texts they had found that day.

“Before I answer your question, Miss Granger, would you permit me to ask you something?”

“I... sure. I guess.” Hermione looked a little worried, but Severus had come to understand that that may very well be a permanent state of mind for the girl.

“Are you coming back to Hogwarts this year as a student of mine?” Severus glanced up from the book he had been tracing the line of a particular Veela family through.

“I don’t know,” she replied slowly. “May I ask why?”

“I have been ‘Professor’ and ‘Sir’ to many people over the years, but only during the school term. I would understand your reluctance to call me by name if you were considering coming back for your eighth year, but if you are not, then would you please consider _not_ calling me Professor?” He stood up from the lounge, the memory of the way he and Harry had defiled it just that morning distracting him too much. He tossed the heavy book on top of the pile they had already been through and grabbed another before heading over to one of the two chairs by the fire.

“Of course,” she replied, a little too easily. Severus looked over to see her eyeing him with a look of cool calculation. “As long as you are willing to stop calling me Miss Granger.”

His eyebrows rose toward his hairline as the unwanted thought that she probably would have done really well in Slytherin flittered through his mind. He repressed a shudder at the idea of having to deal with both Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy at the same time. “As you wish. Now, as to your other question, I do not know for sure that Harry’s Veela ancestry comes from his mother’s side, but it is more logical to follow up on that side of things, as the Potter’s have never claimed to have Veela blood.” _And I would hate to have to acknowledge that my present state of happiness is due to that bastard._

“Well, as far as I have been able to tell, most of the ancient bloodlines have some sort of creature Inheritance, even if it has been diluted into uselessness. Which means that if we try to trace all squibs born into those bloodlines in recent times, then we should, technically, find Lily and her family in there somewhere, right?” She looked up at him for confirmation and nodded as soon as she got it. “Good, then I’ll start with the Malfoy’s.”

Severus tried not to smile as she grabbed a different book and laid it out on the table in front of her. She had to know the reaction of both Harry and the Malfoy’s would be decidedly negative if it turned out that they were related, however distantly. Undoubtedly, she did not expect to find that Harry was actually Draco’s long-lost cousin, but they had run into so many dead ends that Severus did not try to prevent her.

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He had known this would be a long process, as many of the ancient bloodlines were very secretive about their creature ancestry, but he and Hermione had been searching through dusty old books for the past fortnight in vain. He had been on the verge of simply giving up and joining Harry in the cleanup of the school a few times, knowing that physical work would have been much more effective at distracting him from thoughts of his upcoming trial. He had persevered, though, knowing that as soon as the media got wind of what had happened between them, they would go searching themselves, if Harry and Severus did not have answers for them. He did not want to have to face his mate if Rita Skeeter managed to find out more about his history than Severus could himself.

A loud crash sounded from the direction of Severus’s classroom, distracting both he and Hermione. Ron Weasley flung the door open, staggering a bit as he loped across the room to collapse into Hermione’s embrace.

“H-my-nee, have ya eva tried scotch?”

“Oh, Ronald,” she exclaimed in mild disgust. “You’re...”

“Drunk.” Severus finished for her as Harry landed in his lap, barely missing the edge of the massive book resting on the armrest.

“Yer pretty,” Harry slurred, giggling.

“Extremely drunk.” Severus glanced up at Hermione, who was wrestling with an armful of slobbering Weasley. “Allow me to deal with Harry, then I shall return to help you with yours.”

Hermione waved her hand, which he took as an indication that he should do just as he had suggested. He stood, carrying Harry’s limp body in his arms to the bedroom. He was very tempted to simply dump his drunken mate on top of the sheets and leave him there until he returned, but knew his Veela would not allow it. He quickly stripped Harry of his stinking clothing, tucked him into the bed, and cast a ward over him that would allow Severus to know if he either woke up, or needed any kind of assistance. He then turned and marched towards the living room. Taking a deep breath before opening the door, he mentally prepared himself to have to carry Ronald Weasley through the castle, as it would be faster than trying to navigate a stretcher up all the staircases. He pushed the door open to find Hermione had dumped him off of her onto the floor, and had actually managed to clean the table a little while he had been gone.

“I’m so sorry about this. I knew they were going down to Hogsmeade after they finished for the day, but I never thought they would drink this much. I don’t think either of them has ever actually been properly drunk before.”

Severus’s normal reaction would be to sneer at the worried girl in front of him, but he repressed it, knowing what she meant to his mate. “It is of no matter; if they had not gone out and done this on their own, then one of us would have had to be there to chaperone them. I do believe you would not like that anymore than I would.” He bent to pick up the sleeping form of Ronald Weasley from his living room floor, not wanting to see Hermione’s reaction to his words. “Where are you staying?”

“They’ve just told us to take our old rooms in Gryffindor Tower,” she replied, a strange edge to her voice that Severus chose to ignore, in order to concentrate on not dropping her boyfriend. 

They made their way silently through the darkened halls of the castle, Severus admiring the work the students and teachers had put into restoring it. Hermione seemed to be lost in her thoughts, which Severus considered a good thing, as he was not particularly fond of emotional displays, even if it was coming from someone trying to apologise for their idiot boyfriend’s behaviour. He adjusted the now-snoring Weasley in his arms as they reached the door to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione gave the password and the door swung open.

“You can probably just drop him on one of the lounges. It’s a lot easier than walking up to the top of the Tower,” she said as Severus gave her a questioning look.

Severus shrugged as much as he was able to with his burden and lay Ron out on the lounge closest to the fire. “You know how to quickly contact someone if you need help with him?”

“Yes, thank you. Should I, uh, come by tomorrow, to continue with the books?” She was smiling at him in a strange way, her eyes almost sparkling.

“Not tomorrow: Shacklebolt will be here to go over what will happen during the trials. Perhaps it would be best to leave further investigation until after the trials are over,” he struggled to hold back a frown. The look she was giving him was eerily similar to the one Minerva had been wearing every time he had seen her since the end of the War. Maybe it was just that they were happy to have made it through, but he didn’t think so.

“Oh, ok. I’ll see you both at the trials, then.” She gave him a bright smile before turning her attention to Ron.

Severus allowed himself to frown then: her behaviour was definitely strange. He turned and left Gryffindor Tower, closing the door quietly, and puzzled over Hermione’s change in demeanour all the way back to the dungeons. He finally let it go as he made his way into the bedroom and let the ward off Harry, who was snoring on his stomach in the middle of the bed. He stripped off and lay down beside his mate, listening to his heavy breathing. The last full thought to filter through his mind was that maybe it was not Hermione and Minerva who had changed since the end of the War: maybe it was him.


	7. Chapter 7

The thought began niggling at him the second he awoke the next day: had he allowed this bond with Harry to change him? He slid silently out of their bed without waking Harry and moved into the living room, dragging on a dressing gown as he went. After calling for a house-elf, he sat down at the breakfast table. It was only 5:30, which meant he should have at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half to himself. An elf popped into existence just in front of his fireplace, carrying a tray full of breakfast foods. He heard it pop off again as he was pouring a cup of tea.

His mind flickered back to the previous night. Yes, he conceded, he was getting along with Hermione Granger. Yes, he had always disliked her when she had been his student, but he had also always disliked Harry as well. He tried to ignore the small voice that told him that they were two completely different situations. And what about Minerva and Hermione’s attitudes towards him? The looks they had both been giving him were... indulgent. Almost as though they knew how he was feeling and found it amusing. The idea gnawed at his insides, although he could not figure out why. Why should it annoy him that he was finally happy, finally had someone who wasn’t going to leave him?

And speaking of his mate: what was the thing that he could sense just beneath Harry’s emotions? He knew it wasn’t a deeper-seated emotion, as he had felt them in Harry’s mind before. Was there something wrong with Harry? _Stupid question, Severus!_ Of course there was something wrong with Harry: he lost his voice the second Severus entered him. As much as he would like to be able to take credit for making Harry feel so good he forgot how to speak, it never happened during fellatio, just sex. The trials began tomorrow, and Kingsley was due today to go over what would happen during them, so he would have to wait to take Harry to the hospital wing. He knew it was going to be a struggle to convince his obstinate mate to go get checked out, but he could not allow things to continue the way they had. If there was something seriously wrong with his mate, then he would never forgive himself for not insisting.

Which brought him back to his original reason for sitting out here by himself rather than enjoying Harry’s warmth in bed: had he changed? He had always known that if he ever managed to find his mate, he would follow his Veela’s instincts, not his own. He had also always known that people generally considered him a heartless bastard, especially his students. He could not remember seeing his mother interacting with many people in the community, so he didn’t know if she had been the same way he was. The only other part-Veela he had ever met was Fleur Delacour, and he was fairly certain that there was no way he was anything like her. Besides, her bond with the eldest Weasley was one-sided, just like Severus’s mother and father. She appeared to be dealing with it much better than his mother had. But then again, Bill Weasley appeared to be completely entranced by her, as many of the men who came into contact with her were. He knew he was going around in circles, and that he was no closer to coming to an answer than he had been when he had first posed these questions, but now he was determined to have an answer to at least one of them in a few days’ time: exactly what the hell was wrong with his mate.

He heard a soft thump come from the direction of the bedroom, and figured Harry would be joining him soon. When he did not appear after a few minutes, Severus went looking. He found him crouched over the toilet bowl, emptying his stomach. He immediately knelt down beside him, rubbing a soothing hand over his back as he heaved. After he had stopped, Severus muttered a quick cleansing spell before gathering his whimpering mate into his arms. He stood and carried Harry back into the bedroom.

“Sev,” Harry moaned feebly. “Sore.”

Severus quirked an eyebrow. “Perhaps you will think twice before the next time you decide to get completely inebriated on scotch with a Weasley?”

“’M sorry... feel like shit.” Harry’s glassy eyes appeared to be trying to focus on Severus, but couldn’t quite manage it. “Is Kingsley here?”

“No, not yet: it’s only just past 6 in the morning.” He looked down at his mate, true sympathy flooding through him. He sighed. “Stay awake and I’ll get you something to take the nausea away.”

He made his way to the storeroom of his classroom. He had brewed a hangover potion for Slughorn earlier in the year, and had stored it here. Grabbing the bright blue bottle, he gave the storeroom a quick once-over. He would have to go through and re-arrange everything before the start of term, as Slughorn had managed to make the place look like a bomb had hit it. He poured half of the potion into a small cup on his way back to the bedroom, swirling it around as he walked. He found Harry lying on the bed, looking pathetic. He tried very hard to keep the amusement out of his voice as he watched Harry’s blurry eyes follow his progress across the room.

“Sit up and drink this. It will stop you from bringing up everything you eat and drink today, but I cannot guarantee that it will prevent you from feeling like you want to: each person reacts differently to it.”

Harry let out a small moan as he sat up, one arm wrapped around his stomach. “Will it stop the headache?”

“In some cases it does, yes, but as I said, each person reacts differently to this potion.”

Harry sniffed cautiously at the now-steaming potion, wrinkling his nose at the slight odour of egg coming off it. “Sev, this smells like it’s supposed to _make_ me sick, not stop me from being sick.”

“Well, if you would rather take the chance that you will stop on your own...” He trailed off, knowing Harry would not want to run the risk of vomiting all over Shacklebolt’s Minister’s robes.

“Ok, ok, geez!” With another wrinkle of his nose, Harry downed the potion in one gulp. “Ugh, Merlin, that’s foul!”

Severus smiled as he took the cup back from Harry. “Lie down, try to get some more sleep. I’ll wake you in time to get ready for Shacklebolt’s arrival.”

He had to suppress a shudder as Harry’s hand reached out to grab his left forearm. “Thank-you, Sev.” Harry’s eyes were already closing, but Severus could not restrain the shiver that ran down his back as Harry’s fingers slid along his Dark Mark.

He told himself he was being stupid as he walked back out to the living room. There was no reason for him to stop Harry from touching his Mark, but the idea made him shudder. He spent the next few hours reading peacefully beside the fire. He had put aside the genealogy books for the day, opting instead for the latest potions text. At just before 10, he got up and started preparing the rooms for Shacklebolt’s arrival. He was due at 10:30, which Severus figured gave him just enough time to straighten up, as well as get himself and Harry washed, dressed and ready for the day. He spent as much time as he dared getting the room straight; he had not realised that living with Harry would create so much extra mess.

When he was absolutely sure there was nothing out of place, he took a deep breath and prepared himself for getting a very unwilling Harry washed and dressed. He opened the door quietly and slipped inside. Harry was lying exactly where Severus had left him four hours before, the only difference being that he had buried his head beneath his pillow. Severus decided to give Harry a few more minutes and began pulling out clothing for the both of them. He carried it into the bathroom, started the bath running and turned back to his lightly snoring mate.

“Harry.” Severus sat on the edge of the bed, and rested his hand gently on Harry’s shoulder. The younger man gave no indication that he had heard him. A scowl crossed Severus’s face. “Potter!”

Harry jolted upright, hand reaching for his wand. “Wha- Sev?” He lay back down with a moan. “Don’t tell me I have to get up. Still feel like shit.”

“Harry,” Severus began, much more gently. “You are not the first person to suffer the effects of over-indulgence. We need to get you washed and dressed.”

“Ok, fine,” Harry sighed as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed. Severus caught him as he staggered. “Er, sorry. Leg’s asleep.”

Taking the efficient road, Severus stripped his mate down, picked him up and carried him to the bathtub. After dipping Harry beneath the water, Severus removed the dressing gown and slid beneath the warm water beside Harry. He waved a hand at the taps, which stopped immediately. Summoning a bottle of soap, Severus began to scrub the smell of scotch and the Hog’s Head off Harry’s skin. Harry simply lay still, allowing Severus to clean him thoroughly. It was the first time they had been naked together when Harry had shown no interest at all. Severus contemplated this as he washed himself: he would definitely have to introduce Harry to the joys of bathtub sex. Pushing the thought aside before his Veela could get too interested, Severus hopped out of the tub and dried himself off. Harry’s eyes watched him as he moved.

“Are you getting out?” Severus held out a towel for Harry to take.

“Mmm, yeah. My stomach feels funny.”

“It’s probably just the potion stopping you from bringing up your stomach lining.” Severus smiled at the glare Harry shot him, before turning to brush his teeth. “Get dressed. There’s breakfast waiting.”

Buttoning the white shirt he had pulled on, Severus sat down again at the breakfast table. He reached over and set out some dry toast and a cup of tea for Harry, knowing he probably wouldn’t be able to handle much more. Harry made an appearance a few minutes later, scrubbing the towel over his dripping hair. They sat in companionable silence until Harry finished, Severus reading the current _Daily Prophet_. His wards let him know there was a knock at the outer door as Harry was off brushing his teeth.

“Shacklebolt’s here,” he called out. He heard Harry grunt in response as he allowed the classroom door to swing open.

Severus met Kingsley at the door to the classroom. The dark wizard was dressed in the full Minister for Magic robes, looking very solemn as he held out a hand for Severus to shake.

“Snape, how are you?”

“Fine, Shacklebolt. Take a seat by the fire, Harry will be out soon.” Severus waved a hand towards the two chairs sitting close to the fire before turning his back on the Minister.

They had never really got on very well, even when Albus had forced them both to be nice during their time together in the Order. Severus saw no reason to pretend to like the man, even if he was helping him out with this preposterous trial. He was about to slam the door shut again, but a soft hand resting on his prevented it. He spun around, shock rushing through his veins as he saw who Shacklebolt had brought with him.

“Severus.” Narcissa Malfoy’s voice was soft and strained as she watched him warily. The dark bags under her eyes indicated she was not sleeping very well, contrasting wildly with her porcelain skin. “I understand I am to congratulate you on finally finding your mate?”

Fear shot through his system. He knew it was ridiculous, but he had the sudden urge to grab Harry and leave, take them both as far away from these people, these manipulations, as he could get them. Severus looked between her and Shacklebolt, who seemed to be enjoying his discomfort, the bastard. He cleared his throat in an attempt to regain control of himself.

“Thank-you, Narcissa. Please have a seat by the fire; he’ll be out soon.” He heard Shacklebolt’s poorly concealed snort of derision as he moved over to the breakfast table. He wouldn’t have bothered with the niceties if it had just been Shacklebolt here, but he had been friends with Narcissa since his first year at Hogwarts, and could not bring himself to be rude to her. Lucius on the other hand... 

He offered tea as his guests sat down beside the fire. By the time he had poured four teas and settled himself on the lounge, Harry had finished in the bathroom and wandered out to the living room.

“Kings-” Harry stopped mid-exclamation. Severus turned to find his mate frozen halfway between the bedroom and living room, staring at Narcissa in shock. “Mrs. Malfoy. I, er, I assume you’re here to define the terms of our debt?”

Severus had to admire the calm of his mate’s voice, considering the jangle of nerves that was coming down to him through the bond.

“That I am, Mr. Potter. However, I believe we should hear Minister Shacklebolt out first.” Narcissa sat on the very edge of her chair, hands folded primly in her lap. Not a hair was out of place, not a wrinkle in sight as she smoothed a hand down the front of her light blue robes. No one but someone who had known her for nearly thirty years would be able to see the signs of stress and fear in her eyes. Severus mentally cursed himself at the slight pang of sympathy he felt for her: she had picked her course in life, just as the rest of them had.

“In that case, may we begin?” Shacklebolt looked over to Harry, who moved to sit on the lounge, close to Severus. “As these are Death Eater Trials, except for yours Narcissa, they shall be held in Courtroom Ten, on level 10 of the Ministry. The Trials are not usually very long, as the accused tends to be not only guilty, but just mentally unbalanced enough to admit to his crimes and not care that he will be sent to Azkaban for them. Lucius will be the first on Trial, followed by Draco, then you, Narcissa. Severus, I am sorry, but you shall have to wait until the rest have been through their Trials before you may have yours.

“Now, as you are each being Trialled for Death Eater activity, we will have to confiscate your wands as soon as you enter the Ministry, and cuff your hands to prevent any wandless magic. We will be trying to keep each of these Trials the same, to avoid claims of favouritism. You have all seen the chair the accused sits in. I shall attempt to convince the Wizengamot that none of you will require the chains to be activated, but I cannot guarantee I will be able to. Harry, you will sit down in front of the Wizengamot, near the Pensieve. I shall open the Trial, announce the charges against the accused, and open the Trial to statements from the Wizengamot. Harry, after the members of the Wizengamot have had their say, you shall have your opportunity to testify. The Wizengamot know that you shall be using the Pensieve to testify on behalf of Severus, and they are open to you also using it for the other Trails as well, if you should wish. As I have previously said, I shall also attempt to persuade the Wizengamot to release each of you, if it appears as though they are wavering. We have lost enough people; we do not need to lose more to Azkaban, if they do not deserve it.” Kingsley’s dark eyes flickered between the other three in the room, looking each in the eye.

“Kingsley,” Harry’s voice was hesitant. “What – what happens if they _do_ convict?”

“Then whoever they have convicted shall be taken away by the Dementors to Azkaban.” Kingsley’s voice was soft as he told Harry the hard truth.

True panic rushed through Harry’s veins, causing him to clench his hands into tight fists. Severus moved closer to him on the lounge automatically, placing a comforting arm around his shaking shoulders. He bestowed his darkest glare on Kingsley, who simply stared back calmly.

“I am sorry to say it, Harry, but you need to know the truth. Any of the Death Eaters we have been able to round up who are convicted will be sent straight to Azkaban, as they deserve.”

“Shacklebolt, if you do not stop worrying my mate unnecessarily...” Severus left the threat open, knowing Kingsley knew what he was capable of. Harry had turned his head into Severus’s shoulder, his entire body trembling with fear. Severus took a deep breath, trying to push Harry’s fear to the back of his mind. “You have said yourself that it is unlikely that any of us shall be convicted of any crimes related to our Death Eater activity.”

“That is true,” Kingsley sighed. “I apologise again, Harry. I have had a very trying week, which I know is no excuse. Narcissa, I believe you have to speak to Harry?”

Narcissa jumped as though she had been stung. Severus had seen her watching him and Harry from beneath her lashes, and wondered what she was making of this new direction both their lives had taken.

“Yes, thank-you, Minister.” She cleared her throat, as though she were nervous. “Mr. Potter, I believe that simply testifying in Lucius, Draco and my own Trials shall be more than sufficient to discharge any debt you have to me. It is also true that you owe my Draco for not revealing your identity at Malfoy Manor over Easter. However, Draco informs me that you, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger saved his life twice during the Final Battle. He wishes for me to inform you that he believes that, as he owes you two life debts, your debt to him will be cancelled out by one of his debts to you. He is, of course, more than willing to fulfil the conditions of the remaining debt as you see fit, however, he believes that you owe him nothing.”

Severus felt a slight sense of relief from Harry beneath the worry. Harry’s dark head lifted from Severus’s shoulder so he could look Narcissa in the eye. “Of course, Mrs. Malfoy, if that’s the way Draco wants to do things, then it sounds fair to me. I, er, also want to thank you, for allowing me to discharge my debt like this. You could have made things between us awkward, but I think this is the perfect resolution.”

Narcissa’s shoulders relaxed slightly, which was more telling to Severus than the other two in the room would ever know. Narcissa Malfoy was a very guarded person when she was around people she was comfortable with; with both Shacklebolt and Harry in the room, she must be incredibly tense. Severus hid the smile that was threatening behind a brush of his fingers over his mouth. It would not do to let Narcissa know that he was able to read her so easily, not after all this time.

“Well,” Kingsley’s deep voice was startling after Narcissa and Harry’s softer tones. “I believe that is all I can tell you all. The previous Trials did not last long, and as these are slated to begin at 12p.m. sharp, you should all be home again before dinner.”

Severus and Harry stood at the same time as Narcissa and Kingsley. Severus kept a hand on the small of Harry’s back, steadying him, as it looked as though his knees were still shaking a little. Harry reached behind him and squeezed Severus’s fingers, letting him know he was fine before moving off to speak to Kingsley. Severus chose to walk Narcissa to the door, after glancing to see how close Kingsley was to his mate.

“It is very good to see you so happy, old friend. Who would have imagined it would come at the hands of Harry Potter?” Narcissa smiled up at him, no malice evident in her face.

“I did not know until after the Dark Lord attempted to murder me, if that is what you are asking. I had not laid eyes Harry after he came into his Inheritance until just before the Final Battle. He and his friends rescued me from the Shrieking Shack, where our former Master had left me to die.” Severus enjoyed the look of mild shock that flickered across Narcissa’s face. He liked knowing that, after all these years, he was still able to surprise these people who thought they knew him.

“In that case, Severus, I wish you every happiness. Both of you,” she added as Harry and Kingsley joined them at the door.

“Thank-you, Mrs. Malfoy. We are both very happy.”

Severus looked down into the shining green eyes of his mate, seeing a warmth there that he had not seen before. He frowned a little, before resolving to discover what it was later on, after they were alone. “Narcissa, Kingsley,” he nodded at the both of them as they passed through his door. “Until tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” Kingsley confirmed, offering them a smile each before escorting Narcissa out the door.

Severus turned back to Harry after closing the door. He had moved back to the lounge and was watching Severus with sleepy interest. He closed the distance between them as soon as Severus sat down on the lounge. Severus shifted him around until they were both comfortable, before taking a breath to question Harry on the look he had briefly seen in his eyes. Harry’s soft snores put paid to that idea fairly quickly. Severus chuckled quietly as he settled Harry against his chest, and picked up his discarded potions text, knowing he was probably going to be here for quite a while.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's the Trials. I've taken a bit of creative licence with some parts of the story, particularly the fact that Sev didn't actually have a trial in the 80s, and I'm also fairly certain his middle name has never been mentioned, but I figured the one I've given him is appropriate. Hope you enjoy it! :D

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” Harry’s voice echoed around the empty corridor outside Courtroom Ten.

“I distinctly recall telling you, Minister, that it is not _my_ wand you should be confiscating,” Severus chuckled quietly. He was silenced by a jet of red sparks shooting in front of him, cast by the Ministry Guard holding his cuffs.

“No, Kingsley, I won’t allow it. I’ve seen those things out of control before; no one can stop them when they want to Kiss someone.” Harry was pacing in front of Severus, who had been cuffed and had his wand confiscated by the Ministry as soon as they had arrived that morning. Despite the fact that Kingsley had warned them what was going to happen, Harry had still made his resentment known. He had absolutely exploded as soon as he found out about the Dementors. “You do remember what happened to Barty Crouch, Jr., right?”

“I do, Harry, but these Dementors are under strict Ministry control.” Kingsley appeared to be trying to repress a shiver.

“So were the other ones!” Harry’s hands were shaking now as he tried to keep control of himself. He had awoken that morning to another round of nausea strong enough for Severus to threaten to make him stay home in bed, despite the fact that that would almost guarantee a stint in Azkaban. Harry had put it down to severe nerves, and had promised to go see Madam Pomfrey the next morning. Severus had agreed with him, on the basis of his own nerves, not made any better by the strength of Harry’s. “Kingsley, I _can’t_ let them stay here.”

Kingsley glanced over to Severus, as if asking for help. Severus simply shrugged. He did not want to be surrounded by Dementors anymore than Harry wanted to allow it to happen. His Veela was almost purring with pleasure at the protective display by his mate and he was not about to destroy that feeling by agreeing with Kingsley. The sound of footsteps approaching them distracted Severus from enjoying the look of annoyance on Kingsley’s face.

“What’s the holdup?” A Ministry Guard moved into Severus’s line of sight, escorting Draco Malfoy.

“Draco.” Harry nodded to the very subdued blonde now standing beside Severus.

“Harry,” Draco responded, his eyes following the stag walking back and forth across the end of the corridor, keeping the Dementors at bay. “What’s going on?”

“They’ve taken your wands as well, right?” Harry stopped his pacing directly in front of Draco. He flicked his eyes over Draco’s shoulder, where Severus assumed Narcissa stood.

“Y-yes, but they told us about that. Mother said Shacklebolt...”

“Yeah, yeah.” Harry waved his hand through the air, as if to push the knowledge of Kingsley’s warning away from him. “I knew about the wand thing. What they didn’t tell me about were the Dementors. _No one_ told me about them.” He glared at Severus here, his irritation clearly showing on his face.

“Now, Harry, please. This is getting us nowhere.” Kingsley’s deep voice vibrated around them. “I am going to have to insist that you follow me into the Courtroom. The Dementors have to stay until I can remove them permanently; there is no way around it at the moment.”

Severus frowned as he felt a strong rush of determination through the bond. “Fine. But my stag is staying right here. These people are helpless, Kingsley; you’ve taken their wands. I won’t allow those _things_ anywhere near any of them. My Patronus will accompany each of them to the Courtroom, and will stay outside the cells to prevent the Dementors from getting to any of them. _That_ is my condition, and you aren’t going to change my mind.”

Severus bowed his head, hiding his smile from Draco behind the curtain of his hair. He did not know whether Narcissa had divulged the truth about his and Harry’s bond with her family, but if she hadn’t, then he was not going to give anything away unnecessarily. He raised his head again as soon as he heard Kingsley reluctantly agreeing to Harry’s terms. The sight of Draco and Narcissa being led into a tiny cell each sent a chill of fear through him. He knew, subconsciously, that he had nothing to worry about while he was locked up in his cell, especially with Harry’s Patronus stalking the corridor outside the cells. That knowledge could not prevent his imagination from running wild, however. He closed his eyes, waiting for his turn to be locked away.

“I’ll take it from here.” Severus opened his eyes at the sound of Kingsley’s voice.

“But, Minister, he –” The Guard began to object before being quelled by a glare from his boss.

“I am more than capable of subduing a wandless Severus Snape if needs be. You may go now.” Kingsley waited until the man had left the corridor before turning to Severus and Harry. He lowered his voice so it wouldn’t carry to the end of the corridor, where Draco and Narcissa waited. “You have exactly one minute.”

Severus managed to raise his bound hands just in time before Harry ducked under them to mould their bodies together. Warm hands wrapped around his waist as Harry nuzzled into his neck. The strong feeling of safety and comfort that washed over Severus almost made him weak in the knees. He pulled Harry as close as he could, shamelessly drawing strength from his mate.

“I’m so sorry, Sev, I tried, I really did,” Harry was mumbling into his collarbone. His entire body was trembling again. Severus moved back as much as he could, so he could see Harry’s eyes.

“Harry, listen to me. I trust you with my life. Narcissa trusts you with her entire family’s lives. If there’s anyone in the entire wizarding world who can pull this off, it is you.” He knew it wasn’t the most eloquent thing he had ever said, but it seemed to have the desired effect on his mate; Harry’s arms wrapped around Severus’s neck as he pulled him down into a forceful kiss.

“As much as I hate to break the mood, gentlemen, I must insist we get on with proceedings.” Kingsley murmured.

They broke apart slowly, Harry brushing the hair out of Severus’s face. “Sev, I –” He paused, looking worried.

“Harry, please, we have to get inside the Courtroom.” Severus could have murdered Shacklebolt quite happily right then, as he somehow knew, instinctively, that he needed to know how Harry’s sentence was going to finish.

“I’ll see you after, Harry,” he murmured as Kingsley guided him inside the tiny cell. The last glance he got of his mate was a vaguely worried flash of green eyes as the door closed after him.

He looked around, taking in the dark grey walls, single cot and smokeless torch flaring above the door. The room was about seven feet long, by four feet across, and only a few inches taller than the top of the doorway. He sat down on the bed and closed his eyes, trying to work out what was happening in the Courtroom by focussing on the emotions filtering through to him from the bond. He gave up on that after a few minutes, as the only thing he was really getting was a knot of nerves so thick it covered up anything else Harry was feeling.

He lay down upon the bed, figuring that he may as well relax while he could, as he did not know how long the Trials were going to last. He could still feel the influence of the Dementors being kept at bay by Harry’s Patronus. The only relief he got from the feeling of despair caused by their presence was when the stag walked up past his cell. He could see the flickering silvery light of it beneath the door as it passed. The stag had a strong feeling of _Harry_ for him, which helped to calm him, even if it was only for a few seconds at a time. He didn’t know how long he waited, but eventually he got a surge of happiness and triumph down the bond that was so strong it could only mean one thing.

“Narcissa?” He did not know if they had silenced the cells, but he had to try.

“Severus?” Narcissa’s voice was high and strained.

“I do believe Lucius has just been cleared.”

“You – you can tell that? For sure?”

How to answer without giving too much away? “I believe I can, yes. Unless I have been reading Potter wrong all these years.” He tried to keep his voice flat and emotionless, but was unsure if he had succeeded. A vague memory of Harry grumbling about something Hermione had said to him once flittered through his mind. Granger had apparently been right: Harry definitely had a ‘saving people thing’, if this is how he was feeling after clearing Lucius Malfoy’s name.

“Draco Malfoy.” A deep, bored-sounding voice intoned a few seconds later. Severus heard the sound of Draco’s cell door opening and steps shuffling past his own cell. The glittering silver of the stag followed Draco’s progress to the Courtroom door before returning to pace in front of Severus and Narcissa’s cells.

“It’s his birthday, Severus. My dragon turns 18 today.” Narcissa sounded exhausted, old beyond her years. Severus had to remind himself that she was only five years his elder.

“I’m sorry, Narcissa. I tried everything I could to discourage him from taking the Mark, but he was too determined to be like his father; to impress his father.” Severus knew his voice carried the bitterness he felt towards Lucius, but he couldn’t help it.

“He thought he was protecting us.” Severus could hear the tears in Narcissa’s voice now. “The Dark Lord threatened to kill the both of us if Draco did not take the Mark. We knew we were to be punished because Lucius failed to retrieve the prophecy, but we never actually expected him to use Draco against us. I do not – cannot – blame Lucius for everything that happened: I should have protected him better. It was my obligation to protect my son, my _only_ son, but I failed. I failed him.”

_Oh no, of course you cannot blame_ darling _Lucius_ , Severus thought spitefully. He was glad that Narcissa couldn’t see his face, as he was fairly certain she would be able to read his emotions almost as well as he could read Harry’s at the moment.

“You have not failed him, Narcissa. The simple fact that you are here now, preparing to have your names cleared by none other than Harry Potter himself, is proof enough that you have your priorities set straight. The world will know that your only thoughts were for the safety of your son during the end of the War; Harry will make sure of that. And Draco is still young enough that he can redeem himself in society’s eyes. Once he has been cleared, he will be free to pursue any road he wishes. He is an incredibly intelligent man, Narcissa, one with a great future ahead of him.” Severus desperately hoped he was speaking the truth, because if the Wizengamot could not find it in themselves to clear Draco, then he had no chance. A fierce rush of triumph flowed through the bond, causing Severus to sag against the harsh pillow on the bed. “Clear! Narcissa, he’s safe.”

“Really, how can you tell, is it that bond you have?” The first vestiges of hope were sounding in Narcissa’s voice.

“Yes, yes, it’s the bond. He’s safe: now it’s your turn.” Severus heard the guard call Narcissa’s name and the door open.

“Thank-you,” she whispered as she passed his cell.

Severus had not realised how stressed he had been over the result of Draco’s Trial. A knot in his stomach was slowly releasing, allowing him to breathe normally for the first time all day. The stag paced back to stand directly in front of his cell, its glittering silver light calming Severus even more. A feeling of certainty and hope began to blossom in his chest. If the Wizengamot had seen fit to clear both Lucius and Draco, then maybe he stood half a chance. Narcissa’s Trial was the shortest of the lot of them. She had, after all, not actually been a Death Eater, Severus reasoned as he heard the footsteps of the Guard approaching him.

“Severus Snape.”

The door swung open to reveal the beautiful stag staring down at him. Severus had always assumed his Patronus took on the form of a doe because of Lily, and his attachment to her, but the sight of Harry’s stag had him wondering if that was right. Perhaps his Veela had known long before Harry came into his Inheritance.

He didn’t have long to think before he entered the Courtroom. The second he entered, the stag vanished, allowing the fear and nerves to flow hastily back as he was guided into the chair in the middle of the room. The black stone of the walls glinted in the torchlight as Severus sat down. The chains on the armrests closed around his wrists as soon as he was settled. He glanced up at the slight wave of anger he felt from Harry, but knew that it must have happened to the others as well, as the anger was quickly suppressed. The entire Wizengamot appeared to have been summoned for these Trials, as the fifty raised chairs directly in front of Severus were filled. Giving his full attention to Kingsley as the man stood up from his seat, Severus tried to remain calm enough to hear everything being said.

“I call this Trial of the 5th of June, 1998 to order, Acting Minister Kingsley Shacklebolt presiding. Severus Tobias Snape, you are accused of carrying out the murder of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore under the orders of Lord Voldemort. You are also accused of conducting various Death Eater activities from the years between 1977 and 1998. The court recognises the testimony of Harry James Potter.” With that, Kingsley sat down again, arranged his plum coloured robes around him and focussed his attention on Harry.

Severus resisted the urge to frown in confusion as Harry stood and made his way to the Pensieve standing just in front of the raised platform of chairs. Surely the Wizengamot did not operate in this manner all the time? He was dragged out of his thoughts as Harry’s clear voice sounded around the Courtroom.

“Yes, Severus Snape killed Albus Dumbledore.” The entire Wizengamot rumbled at this, the buzzing echoing through the room. Harry waited for the buzz to die down before speaking again. “However, he did not murder him. He did it with the full consent of Dumbledore himself. They planned his death in order to allow Voldemort to think that he had more control over the wizarding world than he actually did. Dumbledore’s death allowed Severus to take over the Headmaster position at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry after Voldemort had taken over the Ministry of Magic. He helped to protect the students from Alecto and Amycus Carrow, the two Death Eaters who had been placed in the school by Voldemort.

“As for the second charge, Severus has already been cleared of the charge of conducting Death Eater activity. He was cleared by this very court in 1981, after the testimony of Albus Dumbledore, the Chief Warlock at the time. I have here a vial of memories that will prove this man’s innocence.” He held up a small vial full of shimmering silvery memories. He moved to the Pensieve and poured the memories in.

Severus risked a glance to Kingsley, who was watching him with a mild look of amusement in his eyes. He looked back down to the Pensieve as he heard Dumbledore’s voice echoing around the Courtroom. He watched in silence as his own memories were displayed before the stunned looking crowd of witches and wizards. Harry showed them everything except the memories of his time at school, for which Severus was very thankful. For some reason, he felt safer knowing that only he and Harry knew exactly what had happened during his schooldays. Harry’s obvious confidence must have been contagious, as Severus had begun to believe that he may very well be released.

“Thank-you, Mr. Potter,” Kingsley jarred Severus out of his thoughts. “Are there any comments from the Wizengamot?”

Severus kept his eyes trained on Harry, who appeared to be glaring around the room at each and every one of the members of the Wizengamot. He had made no move to collect the memories from the Pensieve yet and was standing in the middle of the room, a few feet in front of the chair that held Severus. A quick glance around the room confirmed Severus’s suspicions: the members of the Wizengamot looked cowed. He briefly wondered exactly what Harry had done during the other Trials to make the entire room react in this way, before Kingsley spoke again.

“Very well. In light of the evidence given, I have to declare the accused cleared of all charges. Severus Snape, you are innocent and free to go.” Kingsley’s eyes appeared to have developed the same damn twinkle Dumbledore’s had always had.

A fierce rush of elation flowed down the bond as Harry turned to retrieve the memories from the Pensieve. He then walked calmly out of a side door. A Guard moved up to the chair and tapped his wand on the armrest. The chains released immediately, allowing Severus to stand. Kingsley made his way down from the raised platform to shake his hand.

“That is quite some mate you’ve found yourself there, Snape. Hope you can handle him.” With that, he moved back to speak with an elderly member of the Wizengamot, leaving Severus more curious than ever about Harry’s behaviour.

The Guard led Severus to the same side door Harry had exited from. It opened into a small room, obviously one reserved for the exiting witches and wizards who had been cleared to meet their family and friends after their Trials. With a loud whoop of joy, Harry launched himself into Severus’s arms, knocking him back against the door.

Harry’s arms and legs wrapped around Severus as his mouth descended in a possessive kiss. Severus opened to Harry as he wound one arm beneath his mate’s arse, the other coming up around his waist, holding him close. Harry broke the kiss long before Severus wanted to. He forestalled Severus’s complaint by flicking his eyes off to his left. Severus followed his gaze to see all three Malfoys very carefully not looking at them, as well as Weasley and Granger, standing in the corner of the room. _Well, so much for subtlety._

Clearing his throat as he reluctantly released his mate, Severus turned to Narcissa first. He held out a hand for her to shake, but she ignored it, instead leaning up to place a kiss on his cheek. “As I said, old friend, it is _very_ good to see you so very happy.”

Severus bowed his head in an attempt to hide the sudden blush forming on his cheeks. “Thank-you, Narcissa,” he whispered so only she could hear it. He turned to Lucius next, as he could hear Harry and Draco speaking over in the corner of the room. “Lucius.”

“Snape. Finally found that mate you’ve been searching for. Interesting to find out who it turned out to be. I wonder if...” Whatever it was he was wondering was cut short by Narcissa jabbing him in the ribs with a sharp fingernail. He cleared his throat before continuing. “I mean congratulations. I hope you will be very happy together.”

Severus allowed himself to smile, knowing how much it had cost Lucius to say. He finally turned to Draco, standing in the corner of the room, who appeared to be resisting being drawn into conversation with Harry, Weasley and Granger.

“Happy Birthday, Draco. I’m sure this will be one of the memorable ones.” Draco gave him a slight smile as he shook his hand.

“Yeah, er, Happy Birthday, Draco. I guess I’ll see you around?” Harry moved to stand beside Severus, looking up at him expectantly.

“Thanks, Professor, Harry. And, uh, thank-you, for everything,” Draco mumbled, not meeting either of their eyes.

Severus glanced down to Harry, who had grabbed his hand and was moving towards the door.

“Let’s go, Sev. I’m tired.”

Severus caught the glint in Narcissa’s eye as he passed her and fought against the instinctive blush again. They stopped at the desk in the Entrance Hall of the Ministry, so Severus could retrieve his wand. “Harry, are you absolutely sure you should have allowed Lucius Malfoy to see...”

“Sev, I don’t care what that bastard thinks of me. He could start spreading rumours that I’m sleeping with Aberforth’s goat if he wants, and I really wouldn’t care. Speaking of,” he added, his eyes darkening. “I wanna be fucked. Hard.”

Watching as the floo whisked his mate away, Severus wondered if it had been his influence that had made Harry so shameless. He realised he did not care how it had happened as he stepped out of the floo into their rooms, to find a trail of Harry’s clothing leading to the bedroom. He followed it, stripping himself of his formal robes along the way. He found Harry sitting in the middle of their bed, naked, with a hand down between his legs. Severus’s Veela crowed in expectation, knowing that he would not have to wait to prepare Harry.

“I want you. Now. I know you’ve been holding back, Sev. I don’t want you to anymore. I can take all of you, as hard as you want.” With that, Harry lay down on his stomach, offering himself to his mate.

Severus found himself unable to resist what Harry was offering. The combination of his own desires and his Veela’s encouragement pushed him forward until he was kneeling between Harry’s spread legs. He placed a hand on Harry’s hips, steadying his mate as he checked how ready Harry was for him. His Veela cheered as three fingers easily slid inside. Harry moaned for him to hurry up as Severus positioned himself at his entrance. Harry’s moans were silenced the second Severus entered him.

He held still until Harry wriggled beneath him. He began slowly, knowing Harry needed time to adjust to him, even if Harry did not want to acknowledge it. Harry’s breath puffed out in apparent frustration, encouraging Severus to move faster. He obliged, lengthening his strokes, almost pulling fully out before slamming back in. The pure pleasure he could feel running through Harry felt like it released something in his mind; something that had been holding him back. For the first time since their bonding, Severus fully let go, allowing himself to lose the iron grip he held on his desires. He put everything into each stroke: his elation at finally being free, the ecstasy of being with his mate, and his love for Harry. It was this realisation that brought him to a screaming release, seconds after Harry. He slid out and pulled Harry against his chest, wrapping them both in the warm covers. He fell asleep that night completely content for the first time in his life, entwined with the man he loved.


	9. Chapter 9

Severus awoke the next day so completely relaxed that he wasn’t willing to move, not even to open his eyes. This was the very first day in about 20 years he had woken up with no nerves, no worries and no stress tensing his muscles. He was free and... in love? Now _that_ was a strange concept. He had been about 99% sure that he could not be lucky enough to actually fall in love with his mate. He had told himself that having the bond would be enough, that it would have to be enough. After all, as he got older, the chances that his mate would be much younger than him increased and the chance of someone Harry’s age honestly loving _him_ were extremely slim. Hell, until a month ago, he could not have imagined that Harry would ever want to speak to him again if he survived the War. He knew that Harry desired him, had felt it through the bond, but love? He highly doubted it. He was uncomfortable using Legilimency against him without permission anymore, despite the fact that he had numerous times in the past, so taking that route to find out how his mate felt about him was out of the question. He rolled onto his side, automatically reaching for Harry’s warmth, and was shocked to find he was alone in the bed. His eyes flew open as he sat up. He could hear Harry in the bathroom, once again emptying his stomach. Thankful that he had managed to extract a promise to go to the hospital ward today from Harry, Severus slid out of bed and went to kneel beside him.

“Harry.” It came out as more of a sigh than a word. He got them both clean and dressed so that they could floo into the hospital ward. He arrived a few seconds after Harry, just in time to catch him as his knees gave out. He scooped his barely conscious mate into his arms and crossed the room, depositing him on a spare bed near the office. “Poppy!”

“Severus? Why are you yell – oh. Out of my way.” Poppy waved a hand, moving white screens around the bed to block it from the view of the rest of the ward. “How long has he been like this?”

“Exactly like this? About 30 seconds. He has awoken to nausea the past three days. This is the first time he’s fainted. He also loses his voice during intercourse; has since the first night.” He trailed off, his voice barely above a whisper, unable to meet Poppy’s eyes.

Poppy fixed him with a glare as she poured a potion into Harry’s mouth. Relief flooded through Severus’s veins as Harry’s eyes fluttered open. Harry focussed first on Poppy, who had switched her glare from Severus, before giving Severus a bewildered look.

“You will not find answers there, Mr. Potter. Tell me, why did you not come here the second you discovered something was wrong?” She began sweeping her wand slowly over Harry’s prone form, muttering some kind of charm, brows knitted in concentration.

“I, er, didn’t want to burden you with something so little. There are people in here who are much worse off than I have been, and it seemed selfish to take a Healer away from one of them. I know I should have come, and Sev told me I should, but I just couldn’t face coming back here so soon.” Harry’s voice was sounding stronger by the second, although Severus could not tell if it was due to him feeling better, or to the potion Poppy had administered.

“Mmhm, because Healers could have absolutely no time for the man who had saved us all?” Poppy finished her scan of Harry and moved her wand back to hover over his stomach. Her frown lifted as she scanned up his torso. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she reached his throat. “Well, I can tell you that there is no medical explanation for Harry’s muteness. It may very well just be the way he is or it may be related to the fact that he is a submissive Veela. It is not creating any physical problems, and is most definitely not related to his recent nausea. May I be the first to congratulate you both: you are going to be parents.”

Severus’s mind went completely blank. He was vaguely aware of Poppy waving her wand in his direction as his knees gave way. He landed on a soft chair she had just transfigured. He could hear a conversation echoing around him, but the words were muffled. He had no idea how long he sat there, staring blankly at the edge of the bed in front of him, but eventually Harry’s face swam into view in front of him. He allowed himself to be pulled up out of the soft chair and followed Harry out of the hospital ward. Harry kept silent as he guided Severus out of the castle into the bright June sunlight. Severus came back to his senses as Harry was pushing him down against the thick trunk of a tree by the lake. He stretched his legs out in front of him, staring up at his mate.

“Oh, my God.” He buried his face in his hands as the ramifications of the situation hit him. _A baby! What the fuck am I supposed to do with a baby?_

“Finally, a reaction!” Harry sat down, straddling Severus’s thighs. One hand brushed the hair back from Severus’s face as the other began to gently tug at his wrists. “Please look at me.”

_A baby_. How had he not realised earlier: fatigue, mood swings and nausea were the classic early pregnancy signs, and he had missed them! Did he dare allow himself to hope that this was something Harry wanted? He let his hands fall from his face and forced himself to look Harry in the eyes.

“Sev, I know this is a shock. And sudden. Very sudden. But that’s beside the point.” Harry’s hands came up to cup Severus’s face. “I spoke with Madame Pomfrey and she said that there’s no more danger in a male pregnancy than a female one. In fact, Veela pregnancies tend to be even safer because of the ancient magic involved. And apparently it’s common for bonded men to have kids together.”

Harry was beginning to babble, a sharp panic rising in him. Severus knew he was the cause and that only his acceptance of this baby was going to calm his mate down. He searched down deep inside himself, digging beneath his own alarm at their situation to find a small amount of calm. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and forced himself to really examine things objectively. Harry was pregnant, and appeared to be happy about it. This is what he had wanted for the past 21 years: a family with a man he loved. “A family.”

Relief and joy flooded through to him from Harry, who leant in to plant a sloppy kiss on his lips. “Yes,” he breathed against Severus’s lips. “Sev, we’re going to be a family.”

Severus could feel the tears on Harry’s cheeks as he drew closer, his tongue needy against the roof of Severus’s mouth. He wrapped his arms around Harry’s middle, holding his mate close. Harry’s obvious enthusiasm for this baby was contagious. Severus had waited for his mate, waited to have this kind of happiness and now he had finally found it he could feel a bubble of exhilarated bliss trying to force its way out of him. He smiled around the kiss, allowing that happiness to flow out of him the only way he could: he began to laugh. With a grunt, he sat up, pulling Harry flush against him and placed a hand on Harry’s flat stomach. Laughter boiled up out of Harry as well as he pulled back a little. Reflected sunlight glinted off Harry’s glasses, shrouding his eyes from view, but the wide grin splitting his face told Severus everything he wanted to know.

“Harry...” _I love you. Say it!_ He sighed as he lay down, settling Harry against his chest. “We’ll have to start looking for a house.” _Coward._

“You want to move in together?”

“I do believe we are already living together, Potter. Have been for about a month now, in fact. I assume you do not wish to raise a child in a dungeon. Or at Spinner’s End, for that matter.”

“Or Grimmauld Place.” Harry shuddered, despite the warm weather. He shifted so that they were face to face. “You... you’re really ok with this?”

“Harry, my life so far has had two objectives: to keep you alive long enough for you to defeat The Da – Voldemort; and to find my mate. One way or another, for the past 17 years, you have been my reason to keep going, to not just give everything up; to be a better man. You have saved me in so many ways since that night in the Shrieking Shack... After everything that has happened, it is a true honour to have you wanting to have anything to do with me, let alone willing to give me something I have desired since I first came into my Inheritance.” He would have gone on, but Harry’s lips were suddenly covering his, his hands sliding over every inch of skin he could reach. He responded in kind, holding his mate close as he deepened the kiss. This was not about desire, or wanting sex, but comfort and their simple need to be together. They broke apart as they heard footsteps approaching.

“Well now, this is an unusual situation. I am unused to having to separate my Professors under this tree, gentlemen,” Minerva McGonagall’s voice sounded from down near the lake, tinged with amusement.

Harry scrambled off Severus, blushing furiously. Severus merely raised himself up on his elbows, smirking at Harry’s reaction. “Minerva, please, have a seat.”

“I wouldn’t want to intrude.” She held her hands up, still smiling at the two of them.

“Not at all,” Severus pulled himself up until he was leaning against the trunk of the tree. “In fact, there’s something we need to discuss with you.”

Harry’s head whipped around so he was staring at Severus with undisguised delight. At his nod, Harry turned to Minerva, a wide grin on his face.

“Yeah, Professor, here you go.” Harry waved his wand at one of the thick tree roots, casting a cushioning charm so Minerva could sit down.

“Thank-you, Mr. Potter. Now, may I ask what it is that has you both looking like you’ve overdosed on Cheering Charms?” She settled herself on the tree root, giving Severus a bemused look.

“Well, Professor, we, er...” Harry stuttered to a stop, looking over to Severus as if to ask permission again. He reached for Harry’s hand without thinking, noticing Minerva’s smile as he did so. Harry took a deep breath and tried again. “We, er... we’re going to have a baby.”

Severus watched the look on Minerva’s face change as the information sank in. She went from slightly puzzled, to completely shocked, to hand-flutteringly happy in the space of about five seconds. “Oh! Oh, my boys! Harry!”

She flew down onto her knees in front of Harry, overwhelming him in the folds of her tartan robes in a bear hug that looked to Severus like it could actually smother a bear. He smirked at his mate as he glanced over Minerva’s shoulder, green eyes wide. Then it was Harry’s turn to smirk at him, as Minerva released Harry from her grasp and turned to Severus. She moved fast enough that he would have been unable to prevent the hug, even if he had seen it coming. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and the scent of parchment and sugar-coated biscuits wafted through Severus’s stunned senses.

“Minerva?” He glanced over to see Harry trying to stifle silent giggles.

“Oh my boys, this is such wonderful news. How far along are you?” She moved back so she could see both of them. “Who else knows?”

“Oh, um, about a month, she said.” Harry ducked his head, his face turning beet red once again.

“You and Poppy so far are the only ones who know,” Severus supplied the answer to the second part of her question when it became apparent Harry was not going to.

“Then that is where I shall be.” With a last squeeze of Severus’s hand, and a kiss to Harry’s forehead, she stood and started to make her way towards the castle, a silly grin on her face.

“Ok, that was –” Harry paused, still smiling at Severus.

“Unsettling? Overwhelming? Possibly even terrifying? Let us hope that if everyone else is as happy at the news as Minerva appears to be, that they are able to restrain themselves.”

“I love that you’re so antisocial.”

Severus’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline; he was unable to detect any form of sarcasm in Harry’s words. He watched silently as Harry manoeuvred himself so he was straddling Severus’s hips, his fingers beginning to work on the buttons of the white shirt. “And why, pray tell, would that be?”

“I like knowing that I’m the only person you’re willing to let touch you. Especially like this.” He leant forward to fasten his lips to Severus’s collarbone.

Desire fluttered through Severus’s stomach as he arched under Harry’s mouth. He moaned, feeling his desire echoed in Harry’s emotions. “Harry, we can’t, not in public.”

Harry grunted as he paused in his exploration of the base of Severus’s neck. He moved back far enough to cast a Disillusionment Charm over the both of them and a Muffliato over the secluded area they lay in. “Knew I should have brought the cloak,” he mumbled as he refocussed his efforts.

Severus chuckled as he concentrated on the new sensations Harry was causing to surge through his body. He had never considered the idea of being with a partner who was basically invisible. He found himself shivering under the simplest touch as Harry’s skilled fingers trailed down his chest toward the waistband of his trousers. He glanced down, feeling Harry exposing him to the open air, but was unable to see any of it. A deep moan escaped from him as Harry’s warm mouth sealed around his half-hard cock. His fingers tangled in the mop of messy hair, needing an anchor to his mate as his wicked mouth and fingers took him higher and higher. He felt Harry’s hands clamping down on his bucking hips, trying to force him to hold still. Unfortunately, it only made things worse, encouraging Severus swiftly towards completion. Harry finally gave up on controlling Severus as he slid a hand down beneath him, a finger questioningly probing at Severus’s entrance.

“Oh, God yes,” Severus moaned.

His Veela was screaming objections to him, but Severus ignored it, needing to feel Harry inside him. He spread his legs as wide as the trousers around his knees would allow, giving Harry as much access as he could. He knew it was highly unusual for a dominant Veela to give up his position to his submissive mate, but he trusted Harry with his life, a notion he had never considered before with anyone other than Albus, and he certainly was never of the mind to allow Albus this kind of liberty with him, no matter how much he owed the man.

His breath hissed out as Harry’s finger breached him. The exquisite combination of pleasure and pain forced another moan out of him as he bore down, taking the finger into himself faster than Harry wanted to move. A second finger soon followed, hooking to seek out the bundle of nerves that would set him aflame. Hips jerking uncontrollably as Harry rubbed against his prostate, Severus writhed against the mouth surrounding him, knowing he wasn’t going to last very long.

“Harry... Fuck, fuck, _fuck_... wait, wait.”

He managed to hold tight to his control as Harry’s hot mouth slid up and off of him. The fingers inside him stilled, but did not leave. The musky scent of sex surrounded them as Severus tried to force himself to calm down enough to hold on, if not for his sake, then for his mate’s. Harry gave him all of about 30 seconds to regain some semblance of control over himself before leaning down to whisper in his ear.

“Sev, I want – I _need_ to –”

“Yes, yes,” Severus moaned over the top of his Veela’s reawakened objections.

Kicking a foot at the bottom of his trousers, he managed to get them off one leg, allowing him to wrap both legs around Harry’s waist. A third finger slipped inside as Severus undid Harry’s zip and pushed his jeans and underwear down off his hips. Severus ran his fingers down the thick length of Harry’s cock, smoothing the trail of pre-cum over the swollen head. He heard Harry moan raggedly and desperately wished he could see the look on his mate’s face as he positioned himself at Severus’s entrance.

Harry pushed forward gently, his hands clenched on Severus’s hips in an attempt to control their pace. He knew he was going to be bruised after this, and the thought only turned him on even more. Severus could feel Harry trembling with the effort of going slow enough to not hurt him and tried to force himself to relax. It had been close to ten years since he had allowed anyone close enough to him to even consider being intimate with them, and he knew this was going to hurt. He puffed out a breath as he felt himself stretching around his mate, taking him in slowly, inch after hard inch. Sweet Merlin, he had missed this burn! His Veela was now completely silent in his mind, quietened by the waves of pleasure crashing through him.

“Gods, Sev,” Harry moaned as he finally sheathed himself fully. He bent down, seeking out Severus’s mouth. “You are the sexiest man I have ever met.”

Severus chuckled, not quite willing to believe the nonsense his mate muttered when he was buried balls deep inside him, especially considering he was currently invisible. He tightened his legs around Harry’s waist, pulling him closer. “Move.”

Harry readily complied, pulling out slowly before thrusting back in. He moaned with each movement, sending shivers vibrating through Severus’s body. Severus deepened the kiss, pulling his mate down on top of him, creating the friction his neglected cock was craving at the same time. Jerking his hips upwards as Harry hit his prostate, Severus thrust himself against Harry’s stomach, driving himself closer and closer to what was building up to be an earth-shattering orgasm. Harry’s hand wrapped around him as his mouth slid down, moaning quiet nothings into Severus’s ear. His hand pumped in time to his thrusts, dragging ragged groans out of Severus’s raw throat. Severus dug his nails into the soft flesh of Harry’s back as he felt himself tipping over the edge of oblivion. His mate’s name was the only thing on his lips as he came, spilling himself all over the both of them. Harry stroked him until he had nothing left to give, before taking his own pleasure. Severus felt the hot rush of liquid flooding through his channel as Harry shuddered above him before collapsing with a groan.

He came back to his senses a few minutes later as he became aware of Harry licking him clean. He was still panting slightly, his heart rate finally slowing down a bit, but the tickling sensations Harry was creating were not helping. He raised leaden arms to run through Harry’s hair, feeling his mate grin against his stomach. He tugged gently on Harry’s hair and the sleeve of his sweat soaked t-shirt to pull him up into a kiss. He moaned deep in his throat as he tasted himself on Harry’s tongue and shifted a little as the harsh denim of Harry’s jeans rubbed against his overly sensitised skin.

Harry sighed against his lips. “That was –”

“Spectacular,” Severus finished for him. He felt Harry grin again as he wrapped his arms around him.

“You’re happy.” It was a statement rather than a question.

“More than I probably have any right to be.” He frowned then, an odd exhilaration rushing through him as a thought occurred to him. “Harry, you could speak.”

“Mmm, I meant what I said, as well. You _are_ sexy.”

“You know, Potter, it truly is a small miracle you have enough blood in your body to operate both heads at the same time.” Severus chuckled as Harry slapped him lightly on the arm. “That, however, was not my point. There has to be something we have missed, something even Poppy has missed, for you to be able to –”

“Sev, you think too much.” Harry shut him up quite effectively by sticking his tongue down his throat. “Shh, just enjoy the afterglow. Stress about everything else later and just... be here with me right now.”

Severus allowed Harry to run his hands all over him, massaging his muscles into full relaxation. It didn’t take too long before Harry had him fully relaxed once again, his mind blessedly blank.


	10. Chapter 10

His blissful feeling of peace lasted all of seven weeks. Severus had been just walked out of the Great Hall with Minerva after dinner, when he was overwhelmed with a feeling of full-on panic and utter dejection through the bond. He began sprinting through the castle corridors before he could even acknowledge that something had gone wrong with his mate. Thankful that the cleaning process was nearly over, he jumped down the last few steps of a flight of stairs in order to avoid crashing into a group of students who had stayed to help with the cleanup. He managed to dodge around Hagrid’s massive bulk, but sent little Filius Flitwick flying in the process. He did not – could not – stop to see if he was alright, or to apologise, even if he had been inclined to. His Veela was in a complete state of panic, not allowing him to stop in his headlong rush to get to Harry’s side. He raced down the final set of stairs and corridor to their rooms at full speed. Rushing through the classroom, he could hear Harry’s sobs just beyond the door to the living room and flung the door open, ready to hex whoever had upset his mate into oblivion.

“Sev, oh Gods, I’m sorry... I’m so sorry.” Harry hurled himself forward and wrapped his arms around Severus’s waist, sobbing uncontrollably.

Severus’s chest constricted painfully as he saw the state his mate was in. He wrapped his arms protectively around him and lowered his head, murmuring comforting words into Harry’s ear. When the only reaction he got was more heart-wrenching sobs, he glanced around the room to find the source of his mate’s distress. His gaze landed on a pale and terrified looking Hermione Granger.

“You.” His Veela was forcing itself to the forefront; he could feel his nails sharpening into claws as he advanced on the alarmed woman before him. “What have you done?”

She squeaked and moved a step back towards the door that led to the bedroom, putting the lounge she was standing behind between them like a shield. She appeared to be balancing a huge book on the back of the lounge, her knuckles white with the tension of holding onto it.

“No, Sev, she hasn’t done anything.” Severus turned to look at Harry. One arm was wrapped protectively around his softly swollen belly, the other tangled in the sleeve of Severus’s robes. His beautiful green eyes were bloodshot from tears that were still falling silently and his voice was broken, despondent.

Severus let out a low growl and turned back to Hermione. Holding his Veela back as much as was possible in the current situation, he snarled as he came level with her on the opposite side of the lounge. She let out a frightened yelp as he pointed a clawed finger at her chest. “Tell me.”

“I, uh, I’ve found the Veela in Harry’s family. I – it’s... I’m so sorry, but it’s not enough. The Veela was eight generations back in his family; the squib daughter of a half-Veela who married into the Macmillan family. She was cast out by her parents because she had no magical talent and Lily’s family are her descendants. It’s – It’s too far back in the family for Harry to have a full bond through his Veela blood alone.” She squeaked again as Severus sagged forward, landing on his knees on the rug in front of the fire. “But, it’s not the only one, I think I’ve got it all figured out. I’ve also been researching James Potter’s side of the family and he, well, it looks like he also had some magical creature blood. He was part Wood Elf. It’s from about six or seven generations back in the family, so it’s also not enough for Harry to have a full bond from, but I think the combination of the two is.”

_One-sided... the bond is one-sided_. Severus’s head throbbed as the realisation sunk in. His Veela had retreated behind a fog of pain the second Hermione had said Harry did not have enough Veela blood to create a full bond. _You really are your mother’s son. He’ll get sick of you and leave. You’ll die a slow and painful death, longing for the mate that does not care enough about you to stay around to keep you alive. Just like your mother._ He wrapped his arms around his chest, trying to hold the broken pieces of himself together. He could hear Hermione still speaking, but her words were unable to penetrate the haze surrounding his mind.

“Sev, please.”

He flinched the second Harry touched him. Needing desperately to get as far away from those piercing green orbs as possible, he grabbed his wand and stood. He began to pace in front of the fire fingers clenched around the thin bit of wood. Harry moved to sit in one of the chairs, his knees drawn up to his chin, arms wrapped around them. Severus turned back to Hermione, who was watching him with wide eyes.

“Go on.”

“I, uh, I found out that the bonding ritual of the Wood Elves is completely silent for the submissive partner.” She blushed as she stammered a little. “Harry said that he has been losing his voice, and it suddenly fell into place. His silence is his Elven side attempting to seal his side of the bond. He has enough creature blood to have an Inheritance: you felt it the night he turned 17. The thing is, the only thing that was sealed by the bonding you have already gone through, is your side of the bond. Harry can only feel your strongest emotions, rather than feeling every one, like you can with him. I would assume it feels much the same for him as it did for you before your side of the bond was sealed.”

“How do we seal it?” His voice was raw and harsh with the effort of holding everything back.

“I haven’t quite found that part out yet. The Wood Elves are the most secretive out of the magical beings, even worse than the centaurs, and none of the books I’ve looked in has had anything about them, other than the fact that their bonding is silent. I think we’re going to have to try to track one down in order to find out about the bonding ritual.”

Severus turned away from the sympathy in her eyes; he did not want or need it. His anger was coming back full force, and he did not want her anywhere near him if he could not manage to control it. Harry was safe from his rage, due to his Veela’s protective instincts, but she would be a viable target if he completely lost control. “Get out.”

“Harry.” She hesitated, casting worried eyes to her friend, who was still curled in on himself in the chair by the fire.

“Is perfectly safe where he is.” He could hear the strain in his voice as he ground the words out. “Leave now, or you will not be.”

She hesitated a few more seconds, eyes flicking between the two of them, before obviously making the decision that he was telling her the truth. He watched her leave, closing the door softly behind herself, before turning back to the fire.

_Betrayed._ His mate, his _pregnant_ mate, had been lying to him for nearly three months. Pain and anger swirled through his chest, making it difficult to breathe. His hands clenched into fists as he began to pace the length of the hearthrug. Beneath all his churning anger, he could feel Harry’s misery, laced with a sense of doomed finality, almost as though his mate had been expecting an outburst of this sort from him from the beginning. Which, of course, only fed into Severus’s anger. How dare that little bastard treat him this way? He had spent practically his entire adult life protecting the faithless brat and this is how Harry repaid him for endangering his life? Betrayed by his destined mate, and for what? Some ridiculous fucking joke? _He’s just like his father. Fucking James fucking Potter fucking up my life from beyond the fucking grave!_ He stopped his pacing directly in front of the chair Harry was curled in, wand in hand, prepared to unleash the full force of his anger on the one man he felt truly deserved it. Right until Harry whimpered at the look on his face. Glaring down at his frightened mate, he could feel all the anger draining out of him, leaving him shaking and weak. He dropped his wand on the rug as his knees gave out.

“Are you satisfied, Potter? Whatever game you are playing, you have won. You have finally managed to break the monster who terrorised you all through your school days.” He raised a trembling hand to cover his aching eyes. When he spoke again, it was in a harsh whisper. “You made me love you. If the whole point of this charade was to finally have your revenge and kill me, then outright rejection in the Shrieking Shack would have been the preferable option. It would have been a lot less painful. At least then I would have had the dignity of an unwitnessed death, rather than having you standing over me, gloating.”

A rustle of cloth and Harry’s wand clattering to the ground was the only warning he got before warm fingers wrapped around his wrists, pulling his hands from his face. Harry did not give him the chance to flinch away from his touch, as he tangled a hand through the damp strands of Severus’s hair. Severus felt his head being forced up and shut his eyes, denying Harry the satisfaction of seeing the pain there.

“Do you want to know why I went along with this? Why I didn’t tell anyone that I knew the bond hadn’t been sealed properly? Do you?” Harry’s voice was low and desperate as his fingers knotted painfully through the long strands of hair.

Severus could feel the anger coursing through his mate. He recoiled again as Harry’s hands slid down to his shoulders to shake him. He was disgusted to find that the touch of Harry’s fingers on the tiny bit of bare skin between his collar and hairline gave him a sick sense of comfort. _He hasn’t left. He could have, but hasn’t._ His Veela clung desperately to the thought even as Severus tried to push Harry away.

“It’s because I love you, you blind fucking idiot! I have for years, since the second you stood up to Sirius in the hospital ward after the Triwizard Cup. I tried to ignore it, tried to deny it, even told myself that it would go away as soon as I found a nice girl. And you know what? I did find a nice girl; two in fact. And neither could make me forget you. I tortured myself over these feelings. How could I love someone who had so obviously hated me from the second he laid eyes on me? Why would I want someone who was so cruel to not just me, but every single person he came into contact with? I – I still have no answer to that, but when I saw you during the Battle, I knew that this was something I had to face. I couldn’t try to deny what I felt any longer. I was too busy trying to protect Luna to get to you, but then you reached for me in the Shack, and I... It felt like I had finally come home. You had finally accepted me and I didn’t even care that the only way you could ever love me was to be manipulated into it through the bond. I finally had you, and you were acting like you cared for me, like you cared about what happened to me. I decided that if that was the only way I could be with you, then I would accept it. No one had to know that the bond was one-sided, because I was never going to leave.”

He paused, long enough to make Severus look up into his eyes. His Veela flared at the look he saw there. He had never been stared at with such intensity before, not even by Dumbledore. He searched that heated gaze, seeing, not for the first time, the power contained behind Harry’s eyes. He reached up to remove Harry’s glasses as the firelight reflected off them, obscuring his view. Harry blinked at him a few times before continuing softly.

“Then Hermione worked it out. She came in here with that genealogy book, saying that she knew the bond wasn’t sealed properly, that she knew that I had been lying to everyone. I panicked. I knew that you would come rushing back here as soon as you felt this... God, I don’t even know what to call it. Desperation, I guess. And then you would reject me, leaving me alone with our child, trying to force myself to live life as if I wanted to go on without you.”

Severus could feel his Veela forcing itself out, changing the colour of his eyes and lengthening his hair. He managed to hold the wings back by sheer force of will. He knew the Veela needed to know that his mate was not going to reject him, needed to hear the words.

“Harry,” he paused as his voice broke. Hating himself for this show of weakness, he glanced back to the fire, trying to get his emotions under control. He saw annoyance flitter across Harry’s features.

“Don’t, Sev, please.” Harry’s hand came up to turn Severus’s face back towards him. “Don’t keep shutting me out; I’m sick of it.”

_You have to trust him completely eventually._ Severus frowned at the thought. He knew this night would end in one of three ways: either he would accept that Harry had lied to him and they started trying to work through things; or he could refuse to believe a single thing Harry had told him and risk being rejected. Neither of those options appealed to him, so he set about reconciling things the only other way he could see this ending: he suppressed his Veela as much as possible and let his real personality shine through. If provoking Harry into a reaction that was not fuelled by his desperate need to hold onto Severus by any means necessary was what it took to discover the truth behind Harry’s behaviour, then that is exactly what he would do.

“You lied to me. You knew about my parents, about how they treated each other, how they treated me, and yet you still chose to lie to me. Tell me, Potter, exactly which part of this ingenious plan of yours was supposed to indicate your hypothetical ‘love’ for me?” He knew he had chosen the right path when he saw the anger flare in Harry’s eyes.

“’Hypothetical’? You... you bastard. You complete and utter arsehole!” He stood, grabbing both his wand and glasses on the way up as he strode to the opposite end of the living room. Anger and confusion fuelled his strides as he started muttering. Severus figured from the tone of the whispers that Harry was exercising his apparently quite extensive array of swear words against him and had to bite back a grin.

Trusting to his Veela to let him know if he was pushing too far, Severus tried another tactic. “Of course, what could I have expected from the son of James Potter?”

“DON’T YOU TALK ABOUT MY FATHER!” Sparks flew out the end of Harry’s wand as he spun to face him.

Severus stood as gracefully as he could manage, leaving his wand lying on the floor for safety. He advanced on his mate, knowing through the bond how much Harry appreciated the sight of his Veela side, also how much he disliked those feelings when Severus was being such a prick to him. Desire coursed through to him as he stood staring down at Harry. Yes, this had definitely been the right way to deal with this: they had spent all their time together save the last three months at each other’s throats, why should this ‘relationship’, as it was at the moment, prove any different? It was actually surprising they had lasted this long without trying to hex the other senseless. He should have guessed that this honeymoon period was not going to last; that their personalities would clash eventually, no matter how hard his Veela tried to fight against it.

“Oh, if he could have only seen what you have become.” He paused to run a trembling finger down the side of Harry’s face. “You think he would be proud?”

“ _Everte Statum!_ ”

Severus had no time to dodge the spell, or even to brace himself. He flew backwards across the room, landing with a crash against the opposite wall, just missing the table and chairs. Harry landed on top of him a few seconds later. Lifting his arms above his head to protect himself against the blows Harry was landing, Severus felt relief rushing through him. If Harry was angry enough with him to resort to physical blows, then maybe they had a chance, maybe they could work through this properly. He allowed Harry to exhaust himself, waiting until his mate’s breath was coming in sobs before he spoke.

“Harry.”

“Shut up, you slimy, greasy waste of... Why?”

Severus sighed as Harry leant in, head resting on his shoulder. “There are things we need to discuss.”

“Fine.” Harry stood, eyes averted, and moved into the living room. Severus felt a small stab of regret when he seated himself in one of the chairs, rather than the lounge.

Deciding to use every advantage he had, Severus casually draped himself along the length of the lounge, one long leg stretched so his foot rested against the opposite armrest. He had to resist the urge to smile as he felt a rush of pure lust charging down the bond. _Well, at least the insolent brat cannot lie about that._

“Sev, could you please turn your Veela off?” Harry squirmed in the chair, looking uncomfortable.

“Turn it off?” He smirked. “You say that as though you believe I have full control over this situation.”

“Don’t you?” Harry frowned. “I mean, you can apparently summon those wings whenever you want.”

“There is a difference, Mister Potter, between being able to control this side of myself, and calling upon my wings for the pleasure of my mate.” He watched Harry shiver as he dragged the words out. “Now, however, as much as I would like to continue along this particular avenue of conversation, I need answers.”

Harry sighed, still shifting uncomfortably in the chair every now and then. “I meant what I said, every word of it. I knew the bond hadn’t been sealed on my side, but hoped no one would be able to work it out. And yes, before you tell me just how stupid you think I am, I now know how unrealistic that was, especially with both you and Hermione searching.” He paused, running a hand through his messy hair. “I had no idea about the whole Elf thing, though, you have to believe that.”

Severus allowed the silence to stretch between them. He did believe Harry but, probably due to his naturally suspicious nature, was unsure how he could ever come to trust him completely again. He had never opened up to another person in the same way he had opened up to Harry, and had been betrayed for his troubles. He allowed his gaze to drop to the floor and swung his legs back off the lounge, arms resting comfortably on his knees. He had grown tired of his game of provoke-the-brat much sooner than he usually did. Pinching the bridge of his nose in a fruitless attempt to ward off the threatening headache, he sighed. He could spend the rest of the night going around in circles, asking why him? Why did he have to end up with a mate he could not fully trust? He knew that life was not fair, not to anyone and least of all to him. But he had thought that maybe he was going to be given a break, just one chance to be completely happy for once in his miserable life. He opened his eyes as he heard Harry moving to kneel in front of him.

“Sev, I am not leaving. You aren’t going to scare me away by yelling at me, or insulting my father. Just give me a chance to prove that I mean it, you can even look into my mind, if you really want to. You know I’ve never been able to keep you out – Hey, I thought you said you couldn’t control that Veela of yours?” Harry’s hands landed on Severus’s as he stared intently into his eyes.

Severus could feel the Veela retreating, the second Harry had said he was staying. The pressure in his back eased as his wings stopped trying to force their way out. He closed his eyes, avoiding the penetrating green gaze. He was tired of the fighting, of the manipulations, of not knowing who to trust. He had thought that he had left that all behind after the end of the War, after he had stopped serving Dumbledore and Voldemort. Making a snap decision, he opened his eyes and gave Harry a tired smile.

“I do not need you to offer anything like that, Harry; I believe you.”

Harry sighed in obvious relief as he leant in to press their lips together. Severus shivered at the contact, a strong feeling of unease washing through him. His Veela definitely appreciated the physical contact, especially after a fight of this magnitude, but that comfort was not enough to alleviate the disquiet creeping through him. If Harry was capable of lying about something this important, then what else was he going to lie about in the future? How was he supposed to be able to tell if he was being lied to again? His Veela was trying to prompt him to do or say _something_ , but he had no idea how to fix this, or what it was his Veela needed. He hoped to hell Harry would be able to work it out, because he was unsure if he could endure not being able to tolerate his mate’s touch for very long.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... virtual chocolate frogs for everyone who managed to stick with me after what I did the last chapter!

“Severus, if you would just listen to me, you’d know I am not lying!” Harry stomped out of their bedroom; frustration and anger clear on his face.

“Spare me the melodrama, Potter,” Severus snarled as he crossed the living room on his way out the door. 

Guilt flooded through him as Harry’s anger and misery flowed through the bond. Harry’s recent use of his full name had hurt more than it should, but he had been in no mood of late to correct the brat. They had been arguing more and more since Severus had discovered Harry had been lying to him. He knew he was testing the limits of the bond by not allowing Harry to explain his actions, and by only permitting the minimal amount of physical contact between the two of them, but he was unable to bring himself to see past the deceit. He assumed that the fact that his Veela was not prompting him to apologise must mean that it was sensing Harry’s own guilt over the situation. Severus had wondered if the Veela would force the issue between them if said issue was clearly Harry’s fault, and now he had an answer. It had been five days since Hermione had broken the news to him and he had spent those days holed up in the Restricted Section of the library, attempting to discover the location of a clan of the elusive Wood Elves. He was planning on spending the entire day today there as well.

He sighed as he reached the table he had been using. The piles of books he had yet to go through were stacked up in front of one of the hard wooden chairs, almost looking as though they were taunting him. He Banished a pile that he had finished the day before back to the shelves and settled in for another long, frustrating day.

As he had for the past five days, Severus skipped lunch to continue working through the day, only pausing to retrieve some food for tea directly from the kitchens. He had discovered that as long as all he was doing was sitting in a chair reading, his body did not need as much nourishment as it normally would. He gave another sigh as he checked the clock on the wall above him. 9pm. He still had a little while before he could go back to their rooms. Harry tended to give up waiting for him to arrive somewhere between 9:30 and 10pm, and he was unwilling to go back early and risk being interrogated.

He leant back in the chair, stretching tired muscles. It had been another exasperating day of finding precisely nothing. He froze as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He knew this feeling. After spending nearly 20 years as a spy, one did not tend to forget the sensation of being watched. He casually grabbed a handful of books he had finished and carried them back to the shelves. Resisting the urge to glance into the shadows between the shelves, he turned back to the table. A small sigh of relief just behind him had him reaching into the shadows to pull out his invisible observer.

“Granger,” he sneered as Harry’s invisibility cloak fell from her head. “Leave me alone.”

“Lost some of your usual eloquence, _Snape?_ ” He could hear the scorn in her voice, her use of his surname sounding more like a curse than a name.

“If I wished for your presence, Miss Granger, I would have requested it,” he responded with heavy sarcasm.

She continued as if he had not spoken, determination and annoyance clear in her voice. “It couldn’t have anything to do with the great waves of guilt you’re feeling over the way you’re treating Harry, could it? You remember him, right? Your bonded mate, the one you have been leaving alone all day for the past five days, but who still claims to love you, despite the fact that you’re acting like a complete bastard.” She moved to stand in front of him, hands on hips and a glare that could rival Severus’s best creasing her brow.

He arched an eyebrow at her. “If you are referring to the one man in the world I was _supposed_ to be able to trust implicitly, without having to worry about being betrayed, humiliated, or...” He cut the sentence off before he could add ‘hurt’, biting the inside of his mouth in frustration. “Then yes, I do recall having someone like that once. Unfortunately, it turned out that the faithless worm had a tendency to lie through his teeth every opportunity he got.”

“God, _that’s_ what this is all about? You don’t think you can trust him because he didn’t tell you the bond was one-sided?” Hermione gave a frustrated groan and ran her hands through her bushy hair. She sank down onto the other chair at the table without waiting to be invited, her fingers tracing the title of one of the dusty books. “Would you have reacted this same way if Harry had admitted he knew the bond hadn’t been sealed fully that first night?”

He ignored the voice in his head telling him no, he would not have, as his actions at the time had been motivated purely on the urge to get the bond sealed, rather than this burning _need_ he now constantly felt to be with Harry and met her eyes. “What I would or would not have done then is now completely irrelevant. What has happened has happened and I have reacted according to my nature. I do not see how this could be surprising to anyone.”

“You know what? You’re right. I don’t see how I could have ever thought that someone who has seen the pain of what being ignored by your mate can do to a part-Veela firsthand could _possibly_ treat their own mate in the exact same way.” Severus had to commend her on the levels of sarcasm it was possible for her to reach; he had not thought she had it in her. “You have to remember that Harry has an unsealed bond to you as well, so it’s entirely possible that this is hurting him just as much as it’s hurting you.”

Severus simply sat and watched her fiddling with the peeling letters on the front of one of the books as he considered her words. It had not occurred to him that Harry may be being influenced by the unsealed Elven bond. He knew personally how irresistible the demands of an Inheritance were: the desperation he had felt to protect Harry in the Shrieking Shack, even if it was only from Weasley, was a perfect example. He had only just realised Harry was his mate yet, despite the fact that he had been dying at the time, his Veela had still pushed him to protect his mate. Was it possible that Harry’s Elven side had been pressuring him to not let Severus know that the bond was not yet fully sealed? There was no way for him to know, short of actually asking Harry, and they were not exactly on speaking terms at the moment.

“I suppose you have a brilliant plan to get the two of us back together?” He could not keep all of the cynicism out of his voice, but Hermione did not appear to care or even notice.

“This wasn’t planned, exactly, no. All I wanted to do was find out what you were up to in here, and no, before you ask, Harry did not put me up to this. I am simply telling you the truth of the matter, and then I‘m going to go back to Harry and do the exact same thing with him. I know you’re both too stupidly stubborn to do this on your own, so something has to be done by someone who has seen both sides of the argument. Now, as it seems I am not going to be able to convince you to do this on your own,” she paused, waiting for him to sneer at the suggestion before continuing. “I’m going back down to the dungeons, to try to hammer some sense into Harry.” She stood, draping the invisibility cloak over her arm and fixed him with another glare. “If you ruin Harry’s 18th birthday tomorrow, I will make it my personal mission to make your life as painful and miserable as I possibly can.”

He watched her leave and then groaned as he leant forward, his head landing on the cool wood of the table. He had forgotten it was Harry’s birthday tomorrow. Ron and Hermione had organised a small party in the Three Broomsticks and invited many of Harry’s nearest and dearest. His mind, of course, fixated on what he saw to be one of the more irrelevant factors of his current situation. _Do I give him the present?_ The complete inanity of the thought was enough to drag him out of the stupor he had drifted into and he began cleaning up the table.

He took his time, sorting through what Hermione had said to him as he rearranged the books he had yet to read. By the time he had nothing else to do left in front of him, he had come to the conclusion that he had to at least try to make things right with his mate. While he still harboured reservations about Harry’s trustworthiness, he knew they could not continue in this manner; that he had to put aside his pride. Sulking was undignified and it had felt more and more recently that that was what he had been doing by hiding away with only the dusty books as company. He left the library with a sense of purpose he had not felt in a long time. Just as he was making his way down the stairs to the dungeons, he felt a rush of frustrated anger through the bond. He lengthened his steps automatically, wondering what it could be that had annoyed his mate at this time of night. He threw open the classroom door and strode across the room only to stop with his hand hovering above the handle of the door to the living room. He could hear raised voices inside, and the fact that it was Harry, Ron and Hermione gave him pause. Knowing he should not be listening to what was obviously meant to be a private discussion, but needing to know what they were arguing about, he moved back to sit on the edge of his teaching desk, fascinated by what he was hearing.

“Why the hell would Harry forgive that tosser anything, Hermione? Whose side are you on?”

“There are no ‘sides’ in this, Ronald. Despite what you may think, a bond between two people is actually quite serious. Once it has been sealed, even if it is only on one side, they have to tread very carefully, because if Snape’s Veela believes he has been rejected, his magic will slowly start to shut down.”

“So? It’s _Snape_ , Hermione. Don’t you remember how he’s always treated us? He hates you, he hates me, and he has always hated Harry, from the first time he laid eyes on him during the Sorting Ceremony. Why would it matter if he loses his magic?”

“It’d kill him.” Harry’s voice was low, almost too low for Severus to be able to hear.

Silence stretched between the three of them, long and heavy. Harry’s emotions were murky, so many mixed together that Severus was having difficulty sorting between them. His fingers twitched as he longed to know what was going on beyond the door. He had almost decided to simply walk in when Hermione’s voice sounded again.

“Maybe not kill him necessarily, Harry. There have been cases over the years of Veela surviving rejection, but what was left afterwards wasn’t what anyone would call a normal person. If they survive, and their mate doesn’t come back, then they tend to end up in St. Mungo’s Psychiatric ward. It’s not a pretty sight; a witch or wizard who has lost not only their magic, but also the one person in the world who would be able to save them.”

Severus could almost feel the shudder run through Harry as revulsion won out over the rest of the churning emotions flowing down the bond. “No, I don’t think... I couldn’t do that. Even if there was no relationship between us, no matter who my mate turned out to be, I don’t think I could just leave them to something like that. Besides that, Ron; he’s different around me now. I think the bond might be forcing him to be nice to me, or something, because until this happened, we had an actual proper relationship.”

Shock jolted through Severus at that last. _Of course!_ He had blocked out much of what Harry had said to him that night, but it now came rushing back to him. Harry believed that the bond was manipulating his feelings; that the only reason he could ever be treating Harry like he cared about him is because he was being forced into it by his Veela. _Not that I could really blame him, given our shared history._ He frowned at the thought as his attention was once again grabbed by voices beyond the door.

“Harry, I’m not sure it’s possible for a bond to manipulate someone’s feelings.” Severus felt a strong rush of gratitude that Hermione really was the smartest witch of her age. Maybe he would not have to answer awkward questions when he eventually faced Harry again if she was able to convince him of the truth about their bond. “There have been a lot of couples who have simply kept up the required amount of physical contact between them, but it has never developed into an actual relationship after the bonding night. There has to be something beyond the desire to simply survive for your bond to have developed into what it is.”

“Yeah; his own stupid fear of being alone.”

_Damn_ , Severus thought, followed swiftly by _hypocrite_. One of the things he did recall with perfect clarity about that night was Harry admitting his fear of Severus leaving him to raise their child alone. He knew it was impossible for him to leave; his Veela would not allow it. He did not know if Harry’s unsealed bond would allow Harry to leave, and he did not really wish to think about it. Even the thought of it made fear settle coldly in his stomach.

“Look mate, we should really be getting back upstairs. I know it’s not during term, and that I’m not even a student anymore, but it still feels like if we get caught wandering around at night someone will take points off us.” There was a bit of laughter in Ron’s voice as Severus heard one of the chairs scrape along the wooden floor. “We can finish this tomorrow, yeah?”

“Ok, no problems, Ron. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“We’re taking care of everything, so don’t worry about the party.” There was a touch of amusement in Hermione’s voice as well.

He heard what sounded like her kissing Harry on the cheek as their footsteps got closer to the door. He briefly considered leaving and pretending not to have heard them, but could not summon the will. He met Hermione’s brown gaze as she exited the room, unable to resist a smirk. Weasley stopped in front of him, looking like he was about to say something, before being dragged off by Hermione. Severus would have liked to be able to take his built up frustration out on someone, but knew he should not provoke the Weasley brat, as it would only annoy his mate.

“Are you going to stay out there all night, or are you coming in?” Harry’s voice came, low and clear, through the slightly ajar door.

Shock rippled through Severus at the unexpected question. He stood and walked the few paces to the door, pushing it open slowly to find Harry sitting on the lounge, watching the flickering fire.

“Don’t tell me you thought I couldn’t tell when you were close. This bond may be a pain in the arse, but one good thing about it is that it lets me know when you’re eavesdropping on my conversations with Ron and Hermione.”

Severus felt his stomach flip as Harry turned to meet his eyes. It was unsettling to know that this was one emotion he had no hope of controlling, no matter how much he wanted to. He moved to sit on the other end of the lounge, eyeing Harry carefully.

“You look as though I’m going to try and hex you. Believe me, if I hadn’t wanted you to hear what we were saying, I wouldn’t have let you.”

“I believe I have already been on the receiving end of a hex from you within the past few days, and I have no desire to repeat the experience.” Severus allowed a small smile to turn the edges of his mouth up before clearing his throat and taking a steadying breath in preparation for voicing something he knew, instinctively, that Harry _had_ to know. “Granger was right, Harry: it is not possible for a bond of this sort to manipulate anyone’s feelings. Least of all in the way you believe it has manipulated me.”

Harry stared into the fire for a long time, his arms wrapped around himself. Severus took the opportunity to memorise the beautiful picture Harry made in the flickering firelight: his glasses glinting; black hair sticking up in all directions; athletic body lightly muscled everywhere except for his soft middle, slightly swollen with their child. He bit back a moan as painful desire pulsed through his veins. Harry smiled as he turned, holding out a hand towards him.

Severus hesitated, knowing this is what his Veela needed, what _he_ needed, but not fully trusting himself in his current... condition. Harry raised a taunting eyebrow at him as he met those shining emerald eyes. Unable to resist the challenge, Severus placed his hand in Harry’s. A strange mixture of relief and disappointment flowed through him as Harry merely sat there, curling warm fingers through his. He let his gaze fall to their entwined fingers, mesmerised by the pattern Harry’s thumb was tracing over the back of his hand. Allowing himself to relax against the back of the lounge, Severus felt his Veela settle down a little as it became obvious Harry was not leaving anytime soon. Whatever it was that Hermione had said to Harry before Severus had arrived must have had some sort of effect on him, as this was the most peaceful few moments they had spent together in five days. He jumped at the soft sound of his mate’s voice.

“I’ve missed this. No, wait,” he added, raising his other hand to prevent Severus from responding. “Let me say this before I chicken out. I know I’ve said it before, but I need to know that you heard me. I’m sorry. Lying to you about something as important as this bond is one of the stupidest things I have ever done and I’ve gone out searching for a man I assumed was a serial killer at the time, so I know stupid when I see it.”

Severus had to smile at that. A warm rush of desire down the bond mixed with his own as he looked back up into Harry’s eyes.

“I’m not expecting you to forgive me straightaway, but I have something to ask you.” Harry hesitated a few seconds, his throat working fast. “Please don’t leave me like this again. I don’t exactly know how to describe it, but not having you here is like a physical pain, right in my chest. It must have something to do with the unsealed bond, but not being able to touch you whenever I feel the need to, is driving me insane.”

Severus moved to scoop Harry into his arms without thinking. He settled his trembling mate into his lap, Harry’s head resting on his shoulder. One arm wound around Harry’s back, the other came to rest on his stomach, fingers possessively stretched across the small bump. He buried his face into the messy black hair, inhaling Harry’s scent.

“I’m sorry, love, I should have realised,” he murmured into Harry’s hair, the fact that he had voiced the endearment he had been using in his head for weeks now not even registering. “I did not have to wait long to seal my side of the bond, so I never experienced the same emotions and needs you are.”

“Mmm, ‘s good,” Harry whispered as he nuzzled into Severus’s neck. He wrapped an arm around behind them and brought the other up to thread through the long strands of hair framing Severus’s face.

The strong sense of relief he got from Harry made Severus’s skin prickle with guilt and shame over the state he must have reduced him to over the past few days. He had spent so long on his own, never allowing anyone to get close to him, that he was simply unused to having someone depend on him in such an intimate way. He had been so focussed on his own needs, on his own injured pride, that the thought that Harry might actually be benefitting from their frequent physical contact had not occurred to him. Watching Harry in his arms, Severus became aware of the bags beneath Harry’s eyes. It looked like he had not been sleeping as well as he usually did, which ratcheted up the guilt Severus was feeling.

“Sev?” A ridiculous sense of relief washed over Severus when he heard Harry’s use of his childhood nickname as he looked down into sparkling green eyes. “If you’re not being manipulated by the bond, then...”

Severus smiled, knowing Harry needed the reassurance of actually hearing the words. “I love you, Harry.” He gently flexed the hand on Harry’s stomach. “You and anyone else who comes along.”

With a soft moan, Harry brought their lips together in a soft kiss. Severus could sense the exhaustion, both mental and physical, running through his mate as he deepened the kiss. He knew he would go to bed frustrated tonight, but could not bring himself to care: he had finally come to his senses and had Harry back where he belonged. Severus broke the kiss to see Harry’s tired eyes closing. He allowed him to fall asleep in his arms and after a few minutes, he carefully lifted his sleeping mate and carried him to bed. As he curled himself into Harry’s back, he wondered how he had lasted without his mate’s touch for the past few days, as it was frankly obvious to him now that he was lost, completely and irretrievably lost. And apparently quite happy about it, too.


	12. Chapter 12

The next night, Severus found himself ensconced in a booth at the back of the Three Broomsticks, Minerva glowering at him from the opposite seat. He had just finished listening to a lecture on why he should not treat Harry the way he had been. Minerva obviously was not privy to the news they had made up the night before, and Severus was not of a mind at the moment to enlighten her. He sat staring down into the Firewhiskey he had been nursing the entire night, images of his and Harry’s morning together flashing through his mind. He had tried to talk to Harry about what had happened, but Harry had had other, much more tempting things on his mind.

“Severus.” His head snapped up at the sound of exasperation in Minerva’s voice. “It is Harry’s 18th birthday and you are sulking back here like misery personified.”

“I do not sulk, Minerva.”

“You could have fooled me.” She sat back against the soft leather of the chair and fixed him with a glare. He decided he had no other choice but to come clean, else he may risk being hexed under the table.

“Minerva,” he raised his head, allowing some of the ridiculous happiness he felt to shine through in his smile. “Believe me, I am not sulking.”

His smile got wider as he watched the realisation of what he was saying sink in on Minerva’s face. “You have made up? Oh, I _knew_ we had been right about you. You have four very vocal supporters who have been quite worried for the past week or so that we had placed our faith in the wrong man.” Images of four sets of annoyingly sparkling eyes flashed through his mind. Minerva, Poppy and Narcissa he would have suspected to believe there was any good left in him, but Granger was a surprise.

Before he could respond, he heard his name being called. Harry landed on the seat beside him and pulled him into a tight embrace, kissing him soundly. Severus allowed Harry his fun for a few seconds, before clearing his throat. Harry broke away, giving him a confused look. Severus flashed his eyes over to the other side of the booth and sat back to watch the blush spread over Harry’s cheeks as he realised Minerva was sitting there, eyes averted and a slight smile on her face.

“H-hello, Professor,” Harry stammered.

“Harry,” Minerva responded, amusement tingeing her words. “You appear to have had a good night.”

“Yes! Er, yeah, I have,” Harry grasped onto the out she was offering like a lifeline. “It’s been a great night. But that’s why I’m here. Sev, I’m going back up to the castle with Ron. Hermione’s already left. I’ll see you soon, right?”

Severus just barely resisted the threatening smirk. “I shall be along shortly.”

“I will not keep you then, Severus,” Minerva said after Harry had said his goodnights. “However, I should tell you that the students who have helped with the cleanup are leaving tomorrow. The castle will be empty for the next month, which should give you some more privacy in places other than those bloody gloomy dungeons.”

With that, she exited the booth, then the bar. Severus followed a few seconds later, Disapparating to the gates of the castle as soon as he was clear of the door. He walked quickly up the path leading to the Entrance Hall, keeping his head down in case there were others around who would stop him. Luck must not have been with him, though, because he heard Draco Malfoy’s voice calling him a few seconds later. He turned without breaking his stride to meet his former student’s eyes.

“Draco. What brings you here tonight?”

“I was invited, Severus.” He spared a few seconds to wonder at the fact that Draco seemed to be the only one of his ex-students able to use his first name. “Shacklebolt told both Harry and I that we would be better off as friends than enemies. I’d assumed that this was Potter’s way of trying to honour that idea. Not that I’m complaining, mind: he thinks he’s come up with an idea of how I could repay that debt I owe him.”

“Care to elaborate?” Severus raised an eyebrow as they entered the Entrance Hall.

“Not at the moment, if you don’t mind.” Draco ran a hand through his blonde hair, looking sheepish. “Whether it will work depends on someone other than Harry, and there’s no real point saying anything about it if they don’t come through.”

Curiosity flashed through Severus, but was swiftly overridden by the idea that Harry was waiting for him. “Fair enough. I must now bid you goodnight, Mr. Malfoy.”

Severus caught Draco’s smirk as he said goodnight and headed up towards the guest quarters Minerva must have given him for the night. He ignored it and made his way quickly down through the dungeons, anticipation lengthening his strides. He threw the door to their rooms open and swept inside to find Harry kneeling before the fireplace. The hungry look in his mate’s eyes sent shivers through Severus as he crossed the room to join Harry on the hearthrug. He watched as Harry pointed his wand at the fireplace, setting a blazing fire that lit up half the room. Severus also raised his wand, Summoning a small black box into his hands. He smiled as Harry looked at him in confusion.

“It _is_ your birthday, is it not?”

Harry grinned wide as he took the box. He ran his fingers over the silver ribbon tied around it, eyes widening in wonder as it shimmered under his touch. Severus couldn’t help smiling at the look in Harry’s eyes; he had known taking the time to charm the ribbon would be worth it. Harry gasped as he slid the ribbon off and lifted the lid, pulling out a small silver ring. The vines twining around the band glinted in the firelight as Harry tilted it to get a better look. He looked Severus in the eyes, a stunned look on his face.

“It is a family heirloom. A Prince family ring, hence the “P” in the middle.” Severus traced the letter with a finger. “Most pureblood families use charmed rings and other jewellery to protect loved ones from harm. This one goes on the first finger of your right hand, and will adjust to fit you. It has a weak protective charm imbued into the band. The charm is nowhere near strong enough to stop hexes or anything of the sort, but it should help prevent some of those cuts and bruises you are constantly receiving.”

Severus grunted as Harry threw himself into his arms, knocking them both back onto the hearthrug. He shifted quickly, attempting to avoid being kneed as their legs tangled together. Harry’s hands were everywhere, tugging at the long strands of hair framing Severus’s face, running down his chest, sliding into the waistband of his black trousers. Severus surrendered himself to the sensations flooding through him, sparing only a few seconds to break apart from Harry to cast a cushioning charm on the hearthrug beneath him. They were both panting heavily when they finally surfaced for air. Severus watched Harry sit up, straddle his hips, and slide the ring on his finger, shivering as the charm took effect.

“This is amazing. It actually feels like you.” Harry looked a little confused.

“For the charm to work for you, I had to key my own magical signature into the band. I would imagine it feels much the same as coming into contact with someone’s Patronus; it will always remind you of them if you have a strong enough connection.”

Harry wriggled as the charm settled around him, grinning as he felt the evidence of Severus’s desire for him. “Thank-you, Sev, I love it. But now, I’m going to give myself a birthday present.”

“Not quite the tradition as I know it, but you were never one to follow the rules.” Severus raised a mocking eyebrow as Harry glared at him.

“Well, I was going to do this slowly, making you squirm and beg, but I think I’ll do it the easier way after that.” Harry leant back to retrieve his wand, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“‘Beg’? You must know by now that it will take quite a bit of provocation before anyone hears me _willingly_ begging for anything.”

Harry grinned as finally managed to grab his wand from behind him. “Challenge accepted. Just not tonight.”

Severus settled back into the charmed hearthrug, relaxing as much as it was possible with Harry twisting in his lap. Shock jolted through him as Harry grasped his wand and pointed it at his chest. He met the bright green eyes and forced the apprehension prickling his skin to the back of his mind. He had made the decision to trust Harry, and was determined to stick to it. Besides that, he was fairly certain he would be faster off the mark than a pregnant teenager if it did come down to it. He mentally shook himself, forcing his attention back to the wand pointed at his heart.

“Potter?”

The wand shifted to just below his collar, pressing against his throat. Harry grinned again at the glare Severus shot him as he moved the wand slowly down his chest. He felt the buttons popping off his black robes one by one and released the breath he had been holding.

“I’ve wanted to ruin these bloody annoying things for years,” Harry muttered. “Thought about turning them pink during class once, but I figured you’d have realised it was me and made me spend the rest of the year scrubbing bubotuber pus off the cauldrons.”

Severus chuckled quietly as the wand moved to the buttons running along his arms. He twisted them to allow Harry better access, smirking as Harry met his eyes. “I am merely expediting matters, Mister Potter. And yes, you would have found yourself with the worst of my long list of punishments had you tried anything of the sort.”

Harry hummed and mumbled something. Severus could only make out the words ‘want’ and ‘punish’, but that was enough to send his imagination wild, making him gasp as white-hot desire ripped through him. Harry grinned as he finished with the buttons and spread the now-ruined robes out. Severus felt a shock of cold air brush against his bare skin and realised Harry had also taken the wand to the shirt beneath his robes. He frowned at the surprise that shot down the bond as Harry stared down at him in the flickering firelight.

“I never thought... I mean, I’d felt them, sure, and I know I have scars as well...” 

Severus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew he was not a pretty sight by anyone’s standards and had avoided allowing Harry to properly see him for the last three months. He had known it was inevitable, especially since they were looking at houses in Hogsmeade, which was a lot brighter than the gloomy dungeons. The knowledge that his mate probably found him repulsive stung, but he released the breath and met his eyes calmly to try to offer an explanation.

“They are from Voldemort, mostly. Punishment for not doing his bidding, for not returning when called, for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He refused to stoop low enough to punish his lower-placed minions himself, so some of them were caused by other Death Eaters, but towards the end, it was him personally.”

He could not decipher the look in Harry’s eyes as he traced a finger along what he recognised as a scar he had gained from a _Sectumsempra_ the year Voldemort had returned. Harry’s stare was making him nervous; his skin tingling with the intense regard. Harry Banished both of their clothes with a flick of his wand, baring him completely in the flickering firelight. He closed his eyes again as he felt Harry sliding down towards his feet. He had no idea what Harry had planned for him, but he could not shake the feeling that it was not going to involve whatever his mate had originally had planned here in the firelight. He his head snapped up in astonishment when he felt Harry sucking on his toes.

“Potter, what the fuck are you...?” The sentence hissed out as pleasure flooded through him.

“Relax, will you? I decided that tonight I was going to see you naked properly, since the bedroom is always dark, or you’re always behind me.” He grinned; waggling his eyebrows in what he apparently thought was an alluring manner. “I don’t see the harm in me getting to indulge my minor foot-fetish in the process.”

“Foot-fetish,” Severus repeated faintly. “How did I not know that you have a _foot-fetish?_ ”

“Mmm, it’s not everyone’s feet; just yours.”

Disbelief and very mild revulsion ran through Severus as Harry licked a long stripe up the bottom of his foot. The fact that it was mixed with pleasure only disturbed him more. He was relieved when Harry moved on, sliding up his leg, hands flexing over his calves. Harry glanced up as he reached the first of Severus’s many scars.

“Fluffy?” Harry questioned as he gently kneaded the pink skin.

“Fucking mongrel,” Severus could not resist mumbling, earning himself a grin.

Severus allowed Harry to bend his knees so he could see the whip marks on the backs of his thighs. He gasped as he felt the rough touch of Harry’s tongue lapping over the old wounds. He let his head fall back against the rug, breathing shallow. Harry was so close, so very close, if he just moved a little, he could feel that mess of black hair brushing against his heated skin.

“Sev?” Harry’s voice jolted him out of the haze of pleasure he had drifted into. “Who did this, and why?”

Severus took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down before answering. “Lucius.”

“Lucius as in _Malfoy?_ You let me testify to keep that fucking twat out of Azkaban when he had treated you like this? Why?” Harry’s fingers dug deep into the sensitive skin of Severus’s hips, leaving bright red marks behind them.

“There was a time when I was quite good friends with Lucius. He and Narcissa were five years ahead of me at Hogwarts, and Lucius took me under his wing, so to speak. This punishment happened quite early on, about a year after I had joined the Death Eaters. I had failed to perform to Voldemort’s standards and he wished me punished. Who better than my old mentor? The reason I had not told you earlier is very simple: Narcissa needs him, very much in the same way as I need you.” He watched this information sink in, wondering if Harry was intelligent enough to understand what he had just been told.

“The same way as... Wait, do you mean _Malfoy’s_ a Veela?” Harry’s hands had abandoned their tight grip of Severus’s abused hips to run through his hair.

“No, Harry, Narcissa is part-Veela and Lucius is her mate. Draco, while he enjoys all the looks of a full Veela, did not have an Inheritance. Narcissa is the last of this particular bloodline, unless Draco manages to find himself someone with enough Veela blood for their child to have an Inheritance. If anything I had told you had influenced whatever it was you told the Wizengamot about Lucius, then I would have been practically condemning Narcissa to death. She only just survived his imprisonment after the Ministry fiasco. This is why you did not know until now.”

Harry moved back to run the tips of his fingers over the scarred welts from the whip. His emotions were so mixed that, once again, Severus could not figure out what was going on in his head.

“These feel the same as the ones on your lower back.” It was more a statement than a question, but Severus answered anyway.

“Yes, they are. Once Voldemort learned of my orientation, he decided that the best way to punish me would be to humiliate me. Unfortunately for him, while I do have my kinks, pain has never been one of them.” He closed his eyes against the memory of himself stripped naked in front of a laughing circle of Death Eaters as Lucius Malfoy whipped his bare thighs and back.

“Sev.”

Harry’s soft voice was the only warning Severus got before Harry landed on top of him. He gasped at the feeling of being pressed up against Harry so intimately, allowing Harry to slip his tongue inside his mouth. Just as he was really getting into the kiss, Harry broke away and sat up. He moved off to the side, his fingers tracing along the hex mark that ran straight down Severus’s chest.

“ _Sectumsempra_.”

“Not my smartest moment, creating that one,” Severus panted as Harry ran his tongue down the scar. He felt Harry’s responding grin against his stomach before his mate moved back towards where his shoulders rested on the rug.

“Sit up.”

Severus obeyed immediately, despite not knowing what Harry was going to do, as he knew that the only scars he had on his back were from that one whipping incident. He gasped and jerked out of Harry’s reach as he felt warm fingers wrapping around his Dark Mark. He was prevented from turning around by a hand on his other shoulder, which held him quite securely in place.

“Harry,” he said warningly. “I am willing to share everything with you, you know that. However, that... _deformity_ will never be a part of that.”

“Sev, you aren’t deformed.” Harry’s voice was low and harsh. When Severus began to scoff at the remark, he found himself spun around almost violently. Harry was close, too close for comfort at the moment, but he resisted flinching back. He watched as Harry carefully lifted his fringe to reveal his lightning bolt scar. “You. Are. _Not_. Deformed.”

Severus could feel his eyes widening at what Harry’s actions implied. He felt the rush of insecurity flow down the bond and could have quite happily hexed himself for his thoughtlessness. He raised a hand slowly to trace the line of the scar. The fingers digging into his left forearm tightened painfully as he moved to ghost his lips over Harry’s forehead. The fingers loosened a little as he trailed down the side of Harry’s face, lavishing attention on his earlobe, before moving to hover before his parted lips.

“Neither are you.”

When Harry’s only response was a low moan, Severus claimed his lips in a possessive kiss. He moulded their bodies together, loving the press of Harry against him. Harry’s hand had not released his forearm, but Severus found he really did not care as he trailed his other hand down his mate’s back, cupping his firm arse. Harry pushed back against him, obviously offering himself as Severus slipped a finger inside him. He broke the kiss, his lips now blazing a trail along Harry’s jaw line. Harry’s head fell back as he began to moan.

“More, need more, please.”

Severus willingly obliged, sliding a second finger inside his mate. He hooked them, searching for the tight knot of nerves that would send Harry wild. He chuckled when he felt Harry’s hips bucking, as his free hand clawed fingernails down Severus’s back. A third finger had Harry melting against him, begging to be taken.

Severus lay back down on the hearthrug, positioning Harry above him. Harry’s eyes were glazed as he stared down at him, his bruised mouth open and panting. Severus reached up and tugged the glasses off Harry’s face and threw them on the lounge, not wanting to be bashed by them if they flew off. Harry fell silent as Severus guided him slowly down onto his throbbing erection. He had still not released his grip on Severus’s left arm, so it was a little difficult for Severus to fully control their pace the way he wanted to, but soon enough it did not matter. The feeling of Harry’s tight heat surrounding him combined with the sight of himself sliding in and out of his mate’s body was driving any sensible thought out of his mind. He gripped Harry’s leaking cock and began to stroke it in time to Harry’s movements, needing to see him come before taking his own pleasure. He spread Harry’s pre-cum over the head of his cock with his thumb before stroking down the shaft quickly, knowing Harry would not last very long, judging by the state of the emotions coming down the bond. He moved his other hand to gently tug on Harry’s balls, watching with lust glazed eyes as Harry’s head fell back. His hips stuttered a few times, his movements erratic and his mouth fell open in a scream as he came, spraying thick jets of cum up Severus’s chest. Severus caught him as he fell forward, panting. He shifted their position so that he was cradling Harry from behind and increased his pace, snapping his hips back and forth as fast as he dared. He bit down softly into the skin of Harry’s exposed neck as he came closer and closer.

“I love you, Sev.” Harry’s fingers tightened painfully over the Dark Mark.

The whispered declaration had Severus coming harder and more copiously than he ever had before. His body spasmed over and over, shooting hot streams of cum deep inside his mate. He bit down on Harry’s soft shoulder as he moaned his release, holding him tight against his sweat and cum slicked chest.

“I love you, too, Harry,” he whispered as soon as he was able.

He lapped lazily at the teeth marks he had left on Harry’s pale shoulder. He had not bit hard enough to draw blood, but he would probably have a large bruise to get rid of in the morning. Harry moved away a little, turning so that they were face to face. He pushed Severus back against the hearthrug and lay down on top of him. Severus circled his right arm around Harry’s waist, holding him gently against his chest. Harry rested his head against his shoulder, sounding like he was trying to get his breath back. When he finally did, he raised his head to look Severus in the eyes.

“I don’t care what anyone else says, Sev; I think you are the most beautiful man I have ever met. Things like this,” he squeezed the fingers still wrapped tightly around the Dark Mark. “Only prove your bravery. I wouldn’t want to change anything about you.”

He waved his wand, cleaning them both, before leaning down and claiming Severus’s lips before he could respond. Severus was surprised to discover a small part of him was willing to start believing what Harry was telling him, as the emotions behind the statement had only backed up what Harry had been saying. The kiss did not last long as Harry pulled back to stare down at him again.

“I do not deserve someone as amazing as you,” Severus mumbled as he settled his mate down beside him on the charmed hearthrug.

“You deserve a lot more than you give yourself credit for,” Harry responded before snuggling up and falling asleep with Severus’s arms wrapped around him.


	13. Chapter 13

An unfamiliar ceiling greeted Severus as he woke to a cool mid-August morning. It took a few seconds to realise exactly where he was: he and Harry had found a house they both liked in Hogsmeade and had moved some of their combined furniture in over the two weeks since Harry’s birthday. Severus had convinced Harry to purchase a new bed, as he categorically refused to have to sleep in a bed that had once belonged to a Black any longer than he absolutely had to. They had settled into a comfortable routine after they had finally had a discussion about both Harry’s lies, and Severus’s inability to trust him. Severus had to admit that it had actually been more of a screaming match than a discussion, and had been extremely grateful that the students had not been in the castle to hear it. But they had come out of it stronger, closer and, in Severus’s case, with a slight limp after the wild night of make-up sex. The thought of Harry dragged Severus’s gaze to the other side of the bed.

Harry was lying on his back, the swell of his belly distracting Severus completely. Nearing his fourth month of pregnancy, parts of Harry’s body other than his stomach had begun to change. His increased appetite had added weight to his arse, thighs and shoulders. He had complained to Madame Pomfrey that women never started properly showing until about the fourth month of pregnancy, only to be informed that women were the ones originally designed to get pregnant, not men. His body had to readjust nearly all of his insides to accommodate this child; therefore, he had started showing a lot sooner than many women. Not that Severus was complaining: he found Harry utterly irresistible, and had proceeded to demonstrate that fact whenever Harry became self-conscious about the way he now looked.

Sliding down beneath the sheet, Severus hovered above Harry, enjoying the sight of his mate naked for a few seconds. He dipped his head down and began to nibble at the top of Harry’s thigh. His hands trailed up over Harry’s hips, one travelling up to massage his side, the other beneath him to cup his arse.

“Mmm... Sev,” Harry’s voice was thick with sleep. “Been a long time; let me.”

Severus chuckled when he realised what Harry wanted. “It’s been two weeks, Harry, hardly a long time.”

“Keeping track, are you?” Harry was definitely fully awake now, in more ways than one. “Always knew I’d be unforgettable for someone someday.”

With that, he threw the sheet back and tangled his hands into Severus’s hair, dragging him up into a kiss. Severus manoeuvred so that he was lying beside Harry rather than on top of him, just in case. He was unsure whether it was a good idea for him to be allowing too much of his weight to settle on Harry’s belly, no matter how many times Harry sighed and groaned over the loss of that particular bit of friction during sex.

Harry’s hand slid down Severus’s back, kneading the muscles until he reached his arse. Severus let out a deep moan as he felt Harry’s finger gently entering him. His Veela made a cursory attempt to dissuade him from allowing his submissive to claim him, but was swiftly silenced as Harry immediately found Severus’s prostate. Severus broke the kiss as his hips jerked with the pleasure shooting through him. Harry rolled him onto his stomach, adding a second finger as Severus spread his legs for his mate. Severus felt Harry’s free hand urging him onto his knees, but he ignored it, preferring to continue rolling his hips into the bed beneath him.

“On your knees,” Harry commanded, sending breathtaking shivers running down Severus’s spine. “And show me your wings.”

Severus groaned, but complied, anticipating the added sensation of Harry massaging his wings. He folded his arms beneath his head and raised himself up onto his knees, pressing back to remind Harry to keep moving his fingers. He heard a deep chuckle as a third finger was added, eliciting another moan from him. He focussed for a few seconds and brought his wings forth. Harry gasped as they spread out behind him.

“Beautiful.” Harry’s voice was just above a whisper as he reached to stroke down the join between Severus’s shoulder blades.

“Gods... Harry,” Severus moaned as the combined sensation of Harry’s fingers rubbing against his prostate and stroking through his feathers overwhelmed him.

“You want me,” Harry’s voice still held a bit of wonder at the truth of the statement, so Severus felt some clarification necessary.

“ _Need_ ,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Need you. Now.”

Severus let out a whine he had not thought himself capable of as Harry’s fingers left, robbing him of all stimulation. His thighs began to tremble with the force of will it took for him to not turn over and demand Harry take him now. His wings fluttered back, almost of their own volition, beating against Harry’s bare legs and back as he positioned himself at Severus’s entrance. Harry’s hands grasped Severus’s hips, steadying him as he pressed gently forward. Hands clenching on the pillow under his head, Severus bit down hard on his lip as he stretched around his mate’s intrusion, all rational thought cleared from his mind. Right in this moment, he and Harry were the only two in the world; the only things that mattered were Harry inside him and the unadulterated bliss shooting through him.

Harry thrust forward in one quick movement, embedding himself completely. Severus moaned against the sharp shock of pain, which was quickly turned to pleasure as Harry’s fingers returned to his wings. He felt his heartbeat throbbing through his aching cock as Harry’s other hand wrapped around him. Harry’s thrusts were slow, almost cautious at first, but quickened when Severus responded by pushing back into him. Harry adjusted his angle with each thrust, seeking out Severus’s prostate. Breathing ragged, Severus pushed back into Harry’s thrusts, tasting blood as his teeth pierced his lip. Harry’s hips were starting to stutter as he finally hit the tight bundle of nerves. Severus screamed, voice harsh, as his orgasm ripped through him. Harry followed a few seconds behind him, his hand clenching in the blue-black feathers.

“I’m sorry, Sev,” Harry whispered a few minutes later, earning himself a confused, if slightly glazed, look. He held his hand up, showing Severus a few of his feathers still sticking to Harry’s sweaty hand.

With an effort, Severus heaved his protesting body up onto his elbows, hovering over Harry. He flexed his wings before settling them down around the pair of them. He felt no pain, no dripping of blood, and his Veela was completely silent for once. He smiled.

“No harm done, love.” Before he could follow through with the sudden urge to nibble at the side of Harry’s mouth, Harry had leant over and grabbed his wand, pointing it at Severus’s mouth.

“Episkey,” he murmured, healing the bite mark on his bottom lip.

Severus grinned as he ducked his head to follow through on his desire to taste his mate’s mouth. He figured that maybe, if he played things just right, he might be able to convince him to spend the rest of the morning in bed before he had to meet Minerva that afternoon.

~*~

“Things appear to be going well for the two of you.”

Severus smiled at Minerva as she directed him to sit in a chair in front of the fire in her office. She had invited him, ostensibly, for tea. But as always, Severus was looking for ulterior motives. He settled down into the comfy chair, trying to force himself not to wince at the still quite pleasurable ache in his arse and thighs.

“Quite well, thank-you, Minerva. The rest of the furniture will be delivered to the new house over the weekend and we have found suitable tenants for both Spinner’s End and Grimmauld Place.” He could not work out why she would invite him solely for tea. His mind ran through all the possibilities, but could not find a reasonable explanation.

“And have you been able to speak to Harry about what happened a fortnight ago, or have you simply been allowing him to satisfy his baser desires instead?” She filled two teacups and handed him one, her expression mild.

Severus raised an eyebrow over his teacup. _So that is her play!_ If she believed asking point blank about his sex life was going to shock him, then he had to question how well she had really known Dumbledore. “I fail to see how that is _any_ of your business.”

“I beg your pardon, but the mental stability of my Professors is entirely my business. I need to know that this relationship of yours has not degenerated into a sexual one only. That would not be good for either of you, especially considering Harry’s delicate state.” She set her tea down on the table beside her chair, fixing him with a penetrating green stare.

“I did believe that the interference of the Head into their Professor’s private affairs would stop after Albus, Minerva.” He was stalling and, if her superior look was anything to go by, she knew it. He sighed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. “I have spoken to him about why he lied about the bond. We have only been able to find that one book that references the Wood Elves, and even that was only a short passage. What it said was that their mating ritual is completely silent for the submissive, and that they are able to recognise their mates earlier than any of the other magical creatures.”

Minerva sat staring at him for a long time, her hands folded across her green robes. Severus merely stared back, eyes tracing the pattern of her tartan chair, as he waited for her response.

“Did it say if there was a particular way they chose their mates, or is it pre-determined, as with the Veela?” Her piercing gaze, always able to unnerve him a little, made him shift uncomfortably.

“It said that they choose them based off of two things: power and the mate’s ability to protect them. It is never the dominant who chooses; always the submissive, and the mate does not have to have Wood Elf blood.” He forced himself to continue to meet her eyes, steadfastly refusing to give in to the wave of embarrassment that swept over him.

“Well, you have certainly proven those two things over and over again in the time you have known each other, even if he did not know you were protecting him at the time.” With a flick of her wand, the two cups refilled. “I wonder if that makes a difference?”

Startled a little by the abrupt change of subject, Severus stared at her. “What?”

“If the mate has to prove their ability to protect the submissive, then I wonder if it makes a difference if the submissive knows they were being protected or not? You certainly gave no indication until he found you in the Shrieking Shack.” She gave a little smile as she watched him over the top of the teacup.

He sighed, his hands clenching tightly around the cup. “I wondered about that. He said he knew from the second he saw me stand up to that mongrel Black in the hospital ward after the Triwizard Tournament. I assume, as he did have a Veela Inheritance, that his Elven side had recognised me as a potential mate, but had not decided completely until we met in the Shack.”

“Hmm,” she looked thoughtful. “Three years. No wonder he seems so determined to keep a hold of you now he has you.”

Severus lost his battle with the embarrassment threatening to turn his face a brilliant red. He glanced down into his cooling tea, allowing his hair to fall in front of his face. It was uncomfortable enough for him to get used to the idea of expressing himself to Harry, but to be discussing things of this nature with _Minerva_ of all people! Yes, Harry had proved to be a little possessive, but Severus really had no leg to stand on when it came down to it. He forcibly unclenched his hands from around the tea cup, lest he smash it and wind up having to listen to a lecture from Poppy as well. He closed his eyes, concentrating on not thinking of Harry, or anything related to Harry, for a few seconds in an attempt to get himself back under control. Once he was absolutely certain he had his emotions clamped firmly down, he raised his eyes to hers again.

“Is this the only reason you called me in here today: to interrogate me?”

“I would hardly call this an interrogation, Severus. I simply needed to know that the current state between you and Harry was not going to cause either of you undue stress. Fine, then,” she huffed as he scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I needed to know that you were not heading towards a complete breakdown and have learned over the years that taking the bluntest road possible is the easiest way to get you to speak your mind. Are you satisfied?”

He smirked. “Immensely.”

Severus had the feeling that there was more to this meeting than her supposed concern for his mental state, but unless she offered it up, there was no way for him to tell what other reason she could have. Just as he had made the decision that there was nothing else she wanted, and that he was going to leave, he heard thumping footfalls on the stairway. He glanced up to Minerva, who simply smiled at him. The door was pushed open and Harry walked in with Draco Malfoy not far behind him.

“Ah, there you two are, I was wondering if you had managed to get yourselves lost.”

Minerva stood and transfigured a couple of cushions into chairs for the two of them to sit in. Harry took the one closest to Severus, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together. Desire pooled in Severus’s stomach, images of that morning flashing through his mind. _Get a grip man; you are 38, not 18!_ He closed his eyes, bit down on his tongue and thought of Umbridge. As always, she dampened any amorous thoughts he was having. He opened his eyes to see Draco smirking at him. Severus shot him a glare, which only caused the smirk to turn to a grin.

Minerva served them tea and offered biscuits before sitting back down herself. “Now, Draco, I understand you have limited time today?”

Draco’s attention immediately went to Minerva as he nodded, his voice serious. “Yes, my mother has requested I get back to Malfoy Manor soon, as the Ministry are cleaning out the rest of the Manor today.”

“Very well; I shall try to make this meeting as short as possible. Severus?” His head snapped up from where he had been staring at the hand held by Harry. “You are aware that Harry will not be able to complete a full year of teaching while pregnant, yes?”

The thought had occurred to him, so he nodded without saying anything. Harry squeezed his fingers and began to rub his thumb distractingly across the back of his hand.

“Good, then this may not come as a huge surprise to you. Harry and Draco have agreed that Draco can discharge his debt to Harry by sharing his Defence Against The Dark Arts classes. For the past two weeks, I have been meeting with Draco and have decided that he is just as competent to teach the subject as Harry is, so he will firstly be taking the practical lessons, progressing eventually to taking over the position altogether when it is no longer safe for Harry to continue teaching. Harry will, of course, be very welcome to come back part-time when he is able to.”

Draco’s words of two weeks previous came rushing back to Severus. _Whether it will work depends on someone other than Harry_. They had apparently had to convince Minerva that Draco was a suitable replacement for Harry. Guilt made Severus’s insides squirm at that realisation. Draco had been a very good student: one of the best in his year. There _should_ have been no reason for anyone to question his ability in anything. Harry’s fingers squeezed his and he glanced over, seeing reassurance in Harry’s eyes. Harry shook his head a little, letting him know they would discuss it later. Severus gave a slight nod of his own before his attention was grabbed by a movement out of the corner of his eye. Draco had stood to take his leave while Severus was lost in thought.

“Thank-you, Headmistress, I look forward to it.” Draco turned and held his hand out to Harry with a quirk of an eyebrow. “I’ll be in touch about the schedule, yeah?”

Suspicion made Severus’s muscles tense as he both watched and felt Harry’s reaction. He looked a little awkward, almost as if he were hiding something, but it was the rush of nerves that convinced Severus there was more to sealing this debt than they had given away so far. He smiled and nodded distractedly as he shook Draco’s hand. Knowing that Minerva would need to know whatever it was that Harry and Draco had not said, he sat still until Draco had left and Minerva had returned to her seat. He finally glanced over at Harry after Minerva had settled herself back down in the tartan-covered chair.

“You can tell us the rest of this scheme of yours now, Harry.”

“What scheme?” Harry’s eyes widened innocently, but the wash of apprehension and slight guilt that Severus got from him spoiled the effect. Minerva may have fallen for it, but Severus knew him too well by now to be fooled.

Severus looked over to Minerva, who was watching the exchange while she sipped the rest of her tea. It was obvious he was going to get no support from her in this whatsoever, if the amused glint in her eyes was anything to go by. She raised an eyebrow at him and grinned.

“They have not told me of anything else that goes along with the fulfilling of this debt, Severus.”

“Yes, well, the combination of Potter and Malfoy has never exactly been desirable, Minerva. This has been settled a little too easily for two people who have been completely antagonistic towards each other for half their lives. Believe me, there is more to this than what they have told us.” He looked back to see Harry trying to hide a smile behind his free hand.

Minerva appeared to have seen it as well. “Well, Mr. Potter,” she began. “I believe I can trust Severus’s instincts when it comes to you these days. Tell me, what else is there about this agreement between you and Draco?”

Harry hung his head, staring into his teacup. The guilt that had been mixed into his emotions earlier had dissipated, much to Severus’s relief. If Harry had continued feeling guilty over whatever it was he and Draco had agreed to, he was fairly certain his Veela would have demanded that he force the issue right here. His Veela instincts tended to kick in to protect Harry not just from outside threats, but also his own stupidity. His attention was grabbed by a determined sigh.

“I told him I wouldn’t be able to hide anything from you. Ok, so we know that neither of you will want to agree to this, but we figured we had to try. Sev, since Draco is also a Slytherin, we thought you might be willing to agree to let him take over some of your Head of House duties; the night-time patrolling of the castle in particular.” Harry had not raised his head during this admission and Severus was floored by the strength of the nerves rushing through the bond.

He gave Minerva a confused look, but she simply shrugged. “Why would you want him to take over my night-time patrols?”

Harry did raise his head at that. He blushed crimson, but squared his shoulders, a determined set to his mouth. “So you can come home and be with me.”

A strange mixture of relief and amusement flooded through Severus, washing the tension away. For some reason he could not fathom, he found Harry’s matter-of-fact statement highly entertaining. He was trying the best he could to prevent the huge grin he could feel threatening from showing itself. Biting down hard on his tongue, he glanced over to Minerva. This proved to be a big mistake, as she had lowered her teacup, closed her eyes and was shaking with silent laughter. Averting his gaze to the crackling fire, Severus attempted to hold onto his mirth, so as not to insult Harry. He had almost succeeded in getting himself under control when he heard a small snort from Minerva. He saw a look of affronted indignation cross Harry’s face as he began to laugh. Minerva followed suit, giggling like the schoolgirls she had spent most of her life teaching. He had no idea how long it took for him to stop laughing, as every time he nearly stopped, he would catch a glimpse of Minerva sitting across from him, and that would set the two of them off again. He was eventually reduced to placing a hand over his eyes and taking deep, hopefully calming breaths. Minerva passed him a tissue to wipe the tears from his eyes, but very prudently kept her eyes averted.

“Are you two finished?” Harry’s voice sounded strange, like he could not decide whether to be offended or amused at their inability to control themselves. “So very glad you find me funny.”

Taking one last breath, Severus wiped the remaining tears from his eyes and looked up at his mate. Harry’s bright eyes flashed with mirth, sending relief through Severus. He did not know what his Veela would have forced him to do if Harry had taken offence to his reaction, but he did not think it would have been good. Surprising Severus once again, Harry stood, tugging him to his feet.

“I’m taking that reaction as a yes from both of you,” he announced before dragging Severus out of the office without a second glance to Minerva.

“Harry, wait,” Severus said as they walked down the corridor away from Minerva’s office. He stopped and moved Harry into an empty classroom, pushing him down onto one of the chairs. “Are you absolutely sure this is how you want this debt to be settled?”

Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve thought about it a lot these past few months, and I think this is the easiest way to do it. Draco has nothing that I want and I don’t want this hanging over either of us for years. Kingsley told me that he thinks I should give Draco a chance, and if I’m going to do that, I would rather it be as colleagues before trying to be friends with him.”

Severus eyed him, sorting through the emotions connected with each of these blunt statements. It seemed to him that Harry had actually managed to make an unemotional decision for once in his life. He glanced up as Harry continued.

“And if I’m going to have to give up my classes, then I may as well get something out of it as well. So you’re going to help by giving up the night-time patrols, and keeping me from going insane home alone.” He rose from the chair to press himself up against Severus, his hands wrapped around his neck as waves of desire flooded through the bond.

Severus leant down to claim Harry’s mouth, knowing he would be willing to give up a lot more than simple school duties if it would keep his mate this happy.


	14. Chapter 14

The fire in the living room crackled merrily as Severus settled down into their new black leather lounge. He stretched his long legs out in front of him, warming his bare feet. He had been getting flashes of nerves through the bond from Harry the entire day, but as Harry had not searched him out to discuss whatever it was that was worrying him, Severus figured there was nothing for him to be anxious about. He was hoping to sit in front of the fire tonight with one of the few books left in the library that had any chance of holding some kind of information on the Wood Elves. He had contacted Shacklebolt the other day to see if there were any kind of records kept on the Elves, but not even the Ministry could be of any help in this case. He had no idea what he would do after these last few books had been finished, but had decided that he would stress about it when and if it happened. He and Hermione had exhausted the Restricted Section and the Magical Creatures section with no success. She had attempted to drag both Harry and Ron in with them to help research, but these experiments always ended when Severus could no longer stand feeling Harry’s boredom through the bond and he sent the two away. He still did not completely trust the Weasley brat with his Harry, but he had enough trust in Harry to know that he really should not be worrying about him.

The students were due back at Hogwarts in two days. He knew some of the nerves he was getting from Harry were related to his having to teach students he had been at school with himself, but had no real idea of how to relieve them. Sex was only a momentary, if very satisfactory, distraction. He glanced up to the ceiling after hearing a particularly loud thump from the second storey. When the emotions coming down the bond did not change, he went back to the thick book in his hands.

This book was a last resort in his attempts to distract himself from his own nerves. They were going for the 16 week scan tomorrow and, despite the fact that he knew that Veela pregnancies were ostensibly much safer than human ones, he still had apprehensions that the scan would show something wrong with the baby. For someone used to being able to control every aspect of his life, his helplessness when it came to this baby was incredibly frustrating. There had been something nagging in the back of his mind for the past month or so, something related to Harry and possibly the baby, but he had no idea of how to force the idea to the forefront of his mind. He shook himself, pushing the feeling away.

He glanced back down to the book in his hands; he had read the same passage three times in a row without taking any of it in. Giving it up as a lost cause, he closed the book and placed it on the small side table Harry had purloined from Grimmauld Place. Leaning forward, he rubbed a hand along the stiff muscles in his neck. Eyes tracing along the cream-coloured patterns running through the dark blue carpet, Severus tried to think of something to distract himself. He very gratefully welcomed the sound of Harry’s footsteps thumping down the stairs after he had been staring blankly at the carpet for a few minutes.

“You know,” Harry began as he moved to kneel in front of Severus so he could look him in the eyes. “You wouldn’t ever feel this shitty if you’d just tell me when you’re over-stressed rather than waiting for it to get so bad I can feel it through the bond.”

Severus offered up a slightly shamed smile as he allowed Harry to manoeuvre him onto a soft footstool in front of the lounge. Harry’s legs spread out on either side of him as he sat down on the lounge and began to massage the tension out of Severus’s neck and shoulders. Severus let out a deep moan as he relaxed into the touch. He knew, of course, that he could just as easily have cast a charm to heal the pain, but Harry’s method was so much more enjoyable. It also gave him time to sort through certain things as he enjoyed his mate’s attentions. His mind flittered from class plans, to how strange it was that Harry and Draco appeared to be getting on, to the final repairs of the castle, to the hospital ward. _Appointment tomorrow... Baby_ will _be fine... Poppy has dealt with many different species before... Different species..._

Shock jolted through him as an idea struck. “The hospital ward, Harry!”

“Yes, Sev, we’re going there tomorrow, remember?” Severus could almost feel Harry shooting him a look that said he thought he was slightly unbalanced. He was speaking slowly, as though Severus had suddenly lost his last remaining wits.

“Poppy has medical books in the hospital ward; books that may have something on Wood Elves. She has to be versed in many different species because Hogwarts has had students from all different bloodlines over the years.” Severus could feel excitement building in Harry to match his own. “Since it has been so long since there has been a student with enough Wood Elf blood, Poppy herself would not have had any contact with any of them, but at some point _one_ of the Matrons must have. Those books must have something about them; something useful. If we can just –”

“Whoa, Sev, wait a second!” Harry’s hand gripped his shoulder tightly, preventing him from leaving.

“Harry...” There was warning in Severus’s voice. He knew that this was the best chance they had to discover the location of one of the clans and Harry was delaying him.

“Sev, it’s almost 11 o’clock at night. I’m fairly certain Madame Pomfrey would be asleep by now. Besides that, she’s told us to come by at about 8 tomorrow. That’s less than 12 hours away; those books aren’t going anywhere.”

Severus ran a hand through his hair. He knew the excitement he was feeling was not entirely his own; that Harry was just as thrilled by the prospect of finally being able to contact one of the clans as he was. But, as much as he did not like to admit it, Harry was right: Poppy would likely hex him senseless if he woke her at this time of night. “Distract me.”

“What?” Harry sounded confused.

“I am fairly certain I could not sleep at the moment and judging by what I can feel from you, neither could you. So, with that in mind: distract me.” Severus stood to pace in front of the fire, needing to expend some of the nervous energy coursing through him.

“Ok, erm... I don’t suppose you’re interested in the latest Chudley Cannons scores? Ok, ok,” Harry laughed at the withering look Severus shot him. “Oh, I’ve got it! Lily!”

Severus froze mid-step. His mind raced through the reasons Harry would bring his mother up. They had never really discussed Severus’s friendship with Lily, but he was fairly certain this was not the time for it. When he could think of no reasonable explanation, he met Harry’s eyes with caution. “What about her?”

“That’s what I want to name the baby if it’s a girl.” Harry still sat where Severus had left him on the lounge, looking hopefully up at him.

The sudden apprehension that had stiffened his shoulders again drained away almost at once. Severus moved to sit back down on the lounge again, repositioning to lay Harry’s back against his chest. It seemed as though Harry had hit on the perfect subject, as Severus found himself relaxing at the idea of naming their daughter after Lily. He circled his arms around Harry, hands coming to rest on his belly.

“Lily,” he breathed into Harry’s hair. “It’s perfect.”

Relief swamped him as he felt Harry relaxing against his chest. “Really? Because I don’t want you to agree with me if you don’t want to.”

Severus hummed happily, hoping Harry would take it as confirmation that he actually was agreeing with him. Now that the tension and excitement were wearing off, he found he was quite exhausted: not even having Harry pressed up against him was enough to keep his attention. He was vaguely aware of the lounge widening and Harry sliding him down so he was lying along the length of it. Harry’s weight leaving him woke him up enough to grab hold of Harry’s wrist. He only let go when he felt a thick blanket being thrown over him and Harry settling in next to him.

“‘S ok, Sev; go to sleep,” was the last thing Severus heard before fatigue overtook him.

~*~

He was jerked awake by a shock of cold air as Harry sat up the next morning. Dragging his eyes open, Severus felt a warm rush of happiness and excitement from Harry. He ran a hand down Harry’s back in greeting as he stretched. Checking the clock after Harry moved off the lounge, he saw that it was only 6:50; they still had just over an hour before they were due at the hospital ward. He relaxed back into the lounge, listening to Harry moving around the house. Anticipation prickled along his skin as he thought of the possibility of finally uncovering something about these bloody annoying Elves. He knew he should not get his hopes up too high, as they had not been able to find anything other than that first little bit Hermione had discovered, but he could not help himself. He had the feeling that Poppy would be able to help them somehow; that she would know how to contact a clan. And as his instincts were generally right, he could not shake the sensation that he was correct in this as well. Unable to sit still, he got up and started preparing for the day. By the time both he and Harry were clean, dressed and fed, it was time to leave for the school. Due to Harry’s condition, and general dislike of both apparition and the floo network, they were walking up to the castle.

“So does Lily have a middle name yet?” Severus watched Harry appreciatively as he waited for him to catch up at the bottom of their small garden path.

“That’s as far as I got,” Harry smiled and trailed his fingers down across Severus’s left forearm before lacing their fingers together.

An enjoyable shiver ran through Severus at the touch. Harry had taken to brushing his fingers along Severus’s Dark Mark during intensely private moments and it was having the desired effect: he had begun to associate the touch with Harry’s need for intimacy. He reacted without thinking, drawing Harry into a brief kiss before setting off down the street. He caught Harry’s self-satisfied smirk at his automatic reaction and smiled back, slightly embarrassed.

“Do you have any ideas? For either a middle name, or for boys,” Harry asked after a few seconds of silence.

Severus remained silent, frowning slightly at the question. He had never thought he would have children, even in his most hopeful moments during the War. Therefore, he had never considered having to _name_ said imaginary children. Harry seemed content to allow him time to think quietly, although Severus could feel his eyes on him every now and then. His mind cleared to one name as they rounded a corner to enter the main street of Hogsmeade.

“Albus,” he stated quietly, almost as though to himself.

The fierce rush of joy coming down the bond was just as unexpected as Harry shoving him up against the wall of a building and kissing him senseless. The fact that they were in the middle of Hogsmeade, where anyone could see them, did not occur to Severus as Harry’s taste and scent overwhelmed him. His hands came to rest on Harry’s nicely rounded arse, pulling him closer. He had no idea why Harry had reacted in such a way, but he was determined to make the most out of it.

“Have I told you how much I love you recently?” Harry murmured after breaking the kiss and starting to move off down the street again as if nothing had happened.

“You may have mentioned it,” Severus chuckled, panting slightly in an attempt to catch his breath.

“Lily and Albus,” Harry mused as they neared the castle. “You’re right: they’re perfect.”

Severus found that he had to agree, not just because Harry liked the names, but because the idea of naming their child after one of two people who had meant so much to the both of them felt so right it left him with a warm feeling swirling in his stomach. They were pretty much silent for the rest of the journey up through the grounds and castle. Severus could not help the nervous anticipation he felt rushing through him: just the thought of maybe finding something in these books had his heart racing. He shot Harry a look of confusion as he stopped outside the doors to the hospital and turned to place his hands on Severus’s shoulders.

“Sev, I want you to listen to me very carefully. I need to know that you have heard this properly,” Harry squared his shoulders, a look of determination crossing his face. “If this doesn’t pan out, I don’t want you stressing out too much. We _will_ find one of them eventually, even if we have to wait until after the baby has arrived and go search one out personally.”

Severus smiled at the strong sense of stubborn resolve he felt from Harry. “It should not be this easy to picture you with a baby in a backpack, traipsing around the countryside in search of Elves.”

“Well, you could always carry it if you’re that worried,” Harry grinned. “Please promise me you won’t be too disappointed if this doesn’t work.”

Severus sighed as he looked deeply into those green eyes. He knew that his Veela instincts had been forcing him to place Harry’s happiness and the safe delivery of their child before finding a way to seal the bond. He knew he would never be able to forgive himself if he began neglecting Harry in favour of discovering the location of one of the clans, so he had not been fighting against these instincts. If it really came down to it, Severus had to admit that he would _always_ place Harry’s protection and state of mind above everything else, even the securing of the bond. He circled his arms around Harry’s middle and pulled him close enough to lightly brush their lips together.

“I cannot promise to not be disappointed, Harry. What I can promise is to not allow it to consume me.” It was the best he could do; he just hoped Harry would realise it.

Harry let out a small hum of pleasure. “Good; come on.”

Severus almost staggered as Harry grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the closed doors. He smiled as Poppy greeted him, wondering how to breach the subject. Following along in Harry’s wake, he glanced around the room, wondering if she kept the books in here, or in her office. His attention was grabbed by Poppy snapping her fingers in front of his face.

“Honestly, Severus. Can you tell me why it is that every single time I have you in this room, you tend to drift off?” There was a definite tone of annoyance in her voice as she eyed him suspiciously, following his gaze to her office.

“My apologies, Poppy, but after we are finished here, there is something we must discuss with you.” He focussed his attention on her and Harry, who was lying on a table behind a set of white curtains. Severus caught Harry’s nervous grin as he moved behind the curtains and took his hand.

“Very well, as long as you realise that I must place my patients before anything else,” she waited for him to acknowledge her words before continuing. “So, as you both know, you will be able to see the sex of the baby during this scan, if that is what you want. I need to know now, before I begin the scan.”

Harry glanced uncertainly up at Severus, confusion writ clearly on his face. Severus knew that Harry was unsure whether he wanted to know the sex of the baby, so he made a snap decision for the both of them.

“I believe we may want to wait to find out, Poppy.”

“Good decision; you can always change your mind later on. Now, Harry, if you will just relax.”

Poppy pulled Harry’s worn t-shirt gently up, exposing the swell of his stomach. Severus sucked in a tense breath as she began the scan. Harry gripped his fingers, obviously feeling the strength of Severus’s nerves through the bond. He let the breath out in a whoosh as he heard the rapid heartbeat. Feeling almost lightheaded with relief, Severus watched the progress of the scan with interest. The medical profession had always held a certain fascination for him, but brewing potions was what he had excelled at. Poppy smiled brightly at them as she finished.

“The baby is in excellent health, as are you, Harry. You may sit back up now, if you wish.” She tucked her wand into the harness up her sleeve and looked expectantly at them. “Now, what it is that was so important it couldn’t wait?”

“You are aware that we have been having trouble locating a clan of Wood Elves?” Severus paused until she nodded impatiently and indicated he should continue. “Hermione Granger and I have scoured the library for clues, but have been unable to find anything other than the original paragraph about them. We are down to the last few books from the Magical Creatures section and after that we are basically out of options. It did not occur to me until last night that that Matron of a school such as Hogwarts must have books on various magical creatures, due to the nature of her job. What we need to ask is if we can have access to your collection of textbooks.”

“I am unsure whether there will be anything of use to you in any of them, but if you wish to check, then by all means, go right ahead.” Poppy moved the curtains away with a flick of her hand and led the way into her office. The entire back wall was full with textbooks of various sizes. Severus heard Harry gasp behind him as he entered the room.

“There’s so many of them,” his mate groaned in frustration.

Both Severus and Poppy sent Harry derisive glances before turning to the wall of books. “You have some kind of system in place?”

“Of course I do,” Poppy responded and, with a flick of her hand, made sections of the shelves glow. “The blue is anatomy, the red is various creatures and their magical qualities, the green is diseases and how to treat them and the purple is general. I believe you shall only need the red and purple sections, but I am unsure whether there is any information on creatures in the general section.”

Severus bit back the sigh he could feel trying to force itself out of him. The red and purple sections of Poppy’s collection took up half the wall of her office, roughly about a hundred books. He absently thanked Poppy for her assistance before scanning the topmost shelves of the creatures section. He figured he would start with the books that looked as though they had not been touched in quite a while, since there had been no student through Hogwarts with enough Wood Elf blood for a book with information on them to be needed. He chose six of the most promising looking books, shrunk them and tucked them safely into the pocket of his black trousers. He turned to see Harry standing beside the door to the office, eyeing him hungrily.

“Not here,” Severus mumbled a little hoarsely as he felt the strength of Harry’s desire for him.

“Mmm, how did I manage to find a mate who’s both sexy _and_ smart?” Harry ignored Severus’s quiet protests and wrapped his arms around his neck.

Severus’s Veela was more than interested in what Harry was obviously offering, but the still-rational part of his brain was almost screaming in panic in case Poppy caught them. He forcibly removed Harry’s arms from his neck and stared down into his eyes. “Not _here._ ”

“You have no sense of adventure,” Harry grumbled.

“Bloody Gryffindor,” Severus groused in response, earning himself a laugh from Harry.

He moved out into the ward, smiled at Poppy, who was with another patient and strode out into the hallway. Almost as soon as they were out of sight of the hospital ward, Harry pounced on him. Severus had the sense to open a nearby classroom and stumble inside, with Harry wrapping himself as closely around him as possible. He locked and muffled the door before sinking down onto a handy chair.

“What prompted this?” He gasped when Harry allowed him to surface for air. The morning had been so calm, and he could not figure out exactly what it was he had done to occasion this kind of passionate response.

“I thought all that stress last night was over the bond, but it wasn’t, was it?” Harry asked, his voice rough. “You were worried about the baby.”

Severus looked up at Harry, positioned in his lap, allowing his confusion to show through. “Yes, but I fail to see how the two are connected.”

“Remember what that original book said about how the Elves choose their mates?”

“Power and the ability to protect their mate,” Severus responded immediately, understanding dawning in the back of his mind. “Your Elven side is reacting to my Veela’s protective instincts? That does explain a few things.”

“Not your Veela’s, Sev: _yours_. Believe it or not, I can tell the difference, and this is coming directly from you. Besides, if something prompts me to jump you, I’m not going to turn it down, am I?” Harry laughed at the look on Severus’s face as he slid back down off his lap.

Harry quickly had Severus’s trousers unzipped and was lapping at the pre-cum already leaking down his shaft. Shocks like electricity shot through him at every touch, every swipe of Harry’s tongue over his sensitive skin. He let out a gasp as Harry began to suck on the head of his cock. All thoughts of books, Elves, or Harry’s reaction to him flew from his mind. He reached down to tangle his fingers through Harry’s hair as his head bobbed further down, taking Severus in deeper. Harry had not managed to deep-throat him yet, but Severus was not going to begrudge him the practice.

“Harry,” he gasped as he felt Harry’s other hand cupping his balls. “Gods – I, I can’t...”

He let out a loud moan as Harry swallowed around him, dragging his orgasm out of him in sharp bursts. Harry squeezed and stroked him through it, milking him for every drop until he began to soften. He felt Harry slide back up into his lap, attempting to rock his hips against Severus’s, but the size of his stomach was causing problems in this position. Severus moved his hand to cup Harry through his jeans, allowing Harry to rock into him, hips stuttering, mouth open and panting. Severus dragged him forward into a kiss as he flexed his fingers, squeezing his throbbing cock. Harry gasped into his mouth, gave one last thrust and cried out as his body began to spasm. Severus wrapped his free arm around his mate, holding him securely as he collapsed into his embrace, sighing happily. The same nagging feeling he had experienced the night before washed over him as he relaxed but, once again, it slipped away as he attempted to define it.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There's massive amounts of sap in this chapter. Probably in the one after it as well. :)
> 
> There's also a translation for the Latin at the end. It's probably really bad, but as close as I could come.

“For fuck’s sake, Potter, how can you be so dense? You’d really want to hope that kid ends up with Severus’s brains, because if not, then the future of the wizarding world is most likely doomed.”

Severus had to smile at the exasperation in Draco’s voice as he watched him pace the length of the staffroom in Hogwarts. Harry had been in a stroppy mood since waking, and it seemed that coming into contact with Draco had been the final straw. They had just exited the first staff meeting of the school year and Minerva had left him to play referee between the two, as they had been quarrelling since the start of the meeting. At first it had just been general arguing – their usual sniping – but it had escalated into something a little more personal the second they were out of earshot of Minerva and the rest of the staff.

“I’m _not_ stupid, Malfoy. All I want to know is if you’re going to be able to control your usual ferrety nature and not try to hex any of my friends during class.” Harry moved to stand in Draco’s way, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Severus removed his wand from his robes as he sensed the aggravation and anger building in Harry. He knew he would eventually have to cast a shield between the two of them, but thought it best that he allow them to vent as much spleen as possible before he resorted to that. If he was to be honest, then he had to admit that he was just glad that Harry had found someone to take his bad mood out on other than himself. He had been on the receiving end of Harry’s hormone-fuelled rants before, and was not in a hurry to repeat the experience.

“What? Worried about Granger and the Weaselette are you?” The mocking tone in Draco’s voice caused annoyance to grate at Harry’s nerves, which Severus immediately picked up. He stood as Draco’s wand appeared in his hand.

“No, actually; I know they’re both more than a match for you,” Harry bit back, venom coating each word. “I just don’t want them to get into trouble for cursing you; animal cruelty and all that, you know.”

Severus waved his wand, casting the shield charm as Harry and Draco moved to attack at the same time. They bounced back, Draco hitting the wall behind him and Harry collapsing onto a wooden chair as his knees came into contact with the seat.

“What the –”

“Sev, that was –”

“Entirely called for, and you both know it.” He ignored the hurt look Harry shot him and moved to stand in between them. “Now, as I refuse to play nursemaid for the two of you for the rest of the school year, you are going to stay in here until you can at least pretend to be civil.”

“Are you kidding me? You cannot treat me like a child anymore –”

“I will treat you exactly as you deserve, Mr. Malfoy,” Severus coldly interrupted, this time thoroughly irritated by Draco’s attitude. “I have no time for this petty immaturity. When the time comes for us all to be present for the Welcoming Feast, I hope you will be capable of at least simulating politeness towards each other.”

He stepped over in front of Harry, intending to simply check if he was unharmed and move on. Instead, he found himself rooted to the spot, staring down at his mate as a strange jumble of emotions rushed through him. Harry slowly stood before him, eyes locked on his. He frowned a little, as if in concentration, and suddenly Severus was overwhelmed by what he could only describe as a projection of purest love. There was nothing sexual about it, no neediness that showed Harry’s want of reciprocation; just love, plain and simple. The thing Severus could sometimes sense beneath the surface of Harry’s emotions emerged; he had assumed that he was sensing Harry’s Elven side, and this encounter seemed to prove it: Harry’s ears were pointed. He reached to touch them, but was prevented by Harry pulling him down into a chaste kiss. The kiss was only brief, but the feeling of security that surrounded him stayed. By the time he pulled back, Harry’s ears were back to normal. Severus put it down to some kind of trick of the light in the room. The nagging feeling that had been flittering through his mind for the past month surfaced again, but this time he grasped hold of it, holding tightly to the sensation. It felt as though something had clicked in his mind in that one single moment and he knew, with a certainty that shook him to his core, that they were going to be just fine. Nothing short of death could break them apart now.

Severus shook himself as he stepped back from Harry, who also appeared to be coming out of some sort of trance. He glanced back at Draco, who had not moved, despite the fact that it felt to him like he had been standing there for hours already. A glance to the clock told him it had been only a few seconds since he had turned to Harry. The mild confusion coming to him through the bond matched his own. Looking into Harry’s eyes again, he saw determination there as his mate’s gaze flickered over to Draco. Shaking his head to rid himself of the strange sensation, Severus strode out the door, locking it behind him. He leant against it for a while, attempting to sort out what he had just experienced. It felt significant, but _how_ and _why_ it was significant baffled him. Heaving a sigh, he decided he had to seek out the one other person in the castle he had ever been able to form a proper friendship with.

~*~

“You left them alone together? If it were anyone other than you, I would call that move foolhardy.” Minerva smiled at him as he cast a cushioning charm on the stone steps leading up to the Entrance Hall and settled down next to her.

“I shall be able to tell if they come to blows,” he muttered as he Summoned a cup from the dining hall and filled it from her thermos.

“Although you do not believe they will.” It was a statement, rather than a question, but he felt the need to respond anyway.

“No, I think not. I can read Harry well enough by now to know the signs.” He paused, suddenly nervous over what he was about to admit, but knowing that he had to voice what he had been through, even if it was just to see if it sounded weird to someone other than him. He bowed his head, allowing his hair to cover his face. “Something happened today; something I cannot explain yet. I looked at him and it was like everything just fell into place. I trust him absolutely, Minerva. More than anyone I have ever known before, including Albus. He – he has proven to me that he deserves that kind of loyalty. No matter how I have treated him, he has stuck with me; persisted when so many others would have simply given up and left. It is so completely clear to me now that this has nothing to do with my Veela: this is _me_. This relationship could never have been simply about survival. With someone – _anyone_ – else, but not between us. There has been too much that has happened over the years to have ever allowed this to degenerate into anything less than what we have today. In that one second I was absolutely certain that he embodies everything I have ever needed, everything I have ever craved, not just in a mate, but in a partner and I just...” He raised a trembling hand to his eyes, unable to go on.

“Love is a beautiful thing, my boy.” There was sadness in her voice that only enhanced the tug on his heart at her use of that particular endearment.

“Fucking terrifying, more like.”

She reached a hand out to rest on his shoulder, squeezing gently. “You _can_ do this, Severus. You had a trust in Harry similar to this before, but this sounds much stronger than that. You have been through something you have feared your entire adult life, and come out of it together. And that is the keyword here: _together_. Take it from someone who has had and lost that kind of love; let him know, at every opportunity, exactly how much he means to you. I know that he knows you love him, but considering what you have gone through, it may not go amiss to tell him what you have told me tonight.”

He turned to give her a shaky smile. “I would wager you never thought you would be discussing such things with _me_ one day.”

“On the contrary, some of the staff had quite a pool going based on when you would find your mate.”

“You _bet_ on my love life? Or lack thereof.” He stared in shock at the amused glint in her eyes and sighed when he realised she was not joking. “Who won?”

Her smile widened at the question, her eyes sparkling at him again. “You and Harry have made me a rather wealthy woman, Severus. I have actually been meaning to thank the two of you for your excellent timing for some time now.”

Laughter boiled up out of him as she took her leave of him with a grin. With her wicked sense of humour, he knew he really should not have been shocked at this revelation. He sat on the charmed steps for a while longer, marvelling at his current state of satisfaction with his life. He knew the arrival of the students that night would probably ruin his mood, but right at this moment, he was perfectly content enjoying his hard-earned happiness. He knew he could not sit here long before someone discovered him and asked him to do something for them, and he really wanted some time alone to continue reading the rest of the books he had procured from Poppy, so he reluctantly stood, uncharmed the steps and made his way down to their dungeon rooms

Needing to make absolutely certain that he would not be disturbed, Severus cast the strongest wards possible on the door leading from the classroom to the corridor. He then cast a few, slightly less complicated charms on the inner door. He removed the shrunken books from his pocket, resized them and placed them on the table beside the lounge, Summoned a bottle of finely aged whiskey and a glass and settled down into the lounge. He kept monitoring the emotions running down the bond as he read through the second of the books, having discovered that the first was useless the night before. They had not changed one bit since he had left Harry with Draco; still the same determination, laced with a growing excitement. He had gotten through half of the book and only half a glass of the whiskey when he heard the outer door crash open. _Harry_ his senses provided unnecessarily, as Harry was the only one who could have broken the charms on the door with a touch. He placed the book aside as the inner door was flung open and Harry ran in, panting. He landed on Severus’s lap and started smothering him with passionate kisses.

“I... can... feel... _everything_.” His words were punctuated with kisses and nips at Severus’s neck. He let out a loud moan as he nibbled just below Severus’s ear.

“Harry,” Severus had to clear his throat as his voice broke. “Harry, what do you mean?” He could not allow himself to hope Harry meant what he thought he meant: it would be too painful when it turned out he was wrong.

“It’s sealed, Sev, I can feel it. I can feel _you_.” He rocked his hips, allowing Severus to feel the hardness there as he leant back to look him in the eye. “You’re confused, wary and... nervous? But there’s no need to be; I felt the bond seal earlier. That feeling I got from you, it did something, made something click in my mind. The connection didn’t happen straight away, but I can feel you, Sev, you’ve got to believe me.”

Severus felt hope prickle through him against his better judgement. Could that have been what that feeling was back in the staffroom? Could Harry be correct? Could the bond have sealed itself? If so, how? He tried to push his Veela’s increasingly insistent pleading for him to take Harry there and then from his mind, but was startled when Harry reacted to his intentions.

“ _No_ , don’t fight me on this; I know I’m right.”

“You felt that? Truly?” He raised a tentative hand to ghost along Harry’s jaw, sending delightful shivers through both of them.

“Yes,” Harry whispered, rocking forward again, eyes fluttering closed as their lips met.

Severus felt his Veela forcing itself to the forefront, his hair lengthening and the odd tingle as his eyes shifted from their usual black to the shimmering silver. He opened to Harry, their tongues tangling, hot breath panting in needy moans. He felt the desperate need to have Harry naked beneath him, the pressure in his shoulder blades telling him it had to be soon. He wrapped his arms around his mate, supporting his weight as he stood to carry him into the bedroom. He staggered a little under Harry’s increased size, unused to carrying him with the added baby weight, but he soon recovered, moving to lay him down on their bed.

He stood back from the bed and waved his hand, casting a wandless Vanishing charm on both of their robes. He closed his eyes as he felt his wings spreading out behind him, letting out a sigh as the pressure in his shoulders was relieved. A soft moan caught his attention and Severus looked over to the bed. Harry was propped against the headboard, eyes fixed on Severus. One hand was tracing patterns up and down his chest and belly, the other lightly stroking along the thick vein running down the underside of his swollen erection. His Veela prompting him, Severus moved to stand on the end of the bed, folding his wings around himself so they would not get hooked on the hangings of the bed.

Standing on the end of the bed, Severus stared down at his mate, licking his lips in anticipation. He spread his huge blue-black wings wide, enjoying the buzz of longing that rushed through to him from Harry. He smiled as he looked deeply into Harry’s eyes, which were dilated black, with only a tiny hint of the beautiful green around the edges. Kneeling down in between his mate’s spread legs, Severus allowed his wings to unfold over the two of them, the tips stretching off the edge of the bed to brush against the floor. He leant over, placing his hands on the bed either side of Harry’s shoulders, and bent to kiss his way over the other man’s jaw line. Harry moaned beneath him and arched his back, causing a delicious friction between them. Severus sighed in pleasure as he nibbled and sucked his way to his mate’s lips, before dipping his tongue into the warm depths. He reached down between them, grabbed Harry’s knees and spread them wide, giving himself better access as he slid a finger inside his panting mate. He let out a moan of his own as Harry’s fingers threaded through his feathers, kneading and massaging the sensitive join between his shoulders. He added a second finger, thrusting them swiftly in and out of Harry, causing his hips to jerk. Harry moaned again as the third finger hooked to hit the tight bundle of nerves inside him, the sound vibrating down through Severus’s body, leaving goose bumps in its wake.

“Now, please... Sev, please,” Harry whispered, his voice rough with lust.

“Soon, love, soon,” Severus replied.

He settled himself against his mate’s body: they fit together perfectly, despite the swell of Harry’s belly. Severus rocked his hips, gently rubbing his throbbing erection against his mate’s entrance. He took a deep breath, knowing they would discover if Harry was correct about the sealing of the bond the second Severus entered him. He positioned himself and pressed forward, trying not to thrust straight in and hurt Harry.

Severus had to bite back a painful sob as Harry went silent. His jaw and eyes clenched shut against the agonising realisation that Harry had been wrong, Severus lowered his head to rest on Harry’s shoulder. How long he stayed in that position, he had no idea, but was jerked out of his misery by Harry’s hand brushing through his hair. Severus reluctantly pushed himself up onto his elbows, careful to avoid putting too much pressure onto Harry’s stomach. He opened his mouth to question him, but was halted by the look on Harry’s face. The intensity of the reassurance in Harry’s eyes calmed him completely; filling him with a sense of safety and belonging so strong the tears he had been holding back began to silently fall.

Harry smiled as he reached to brush a finger along Severus’s cheek. He closed his eyes, a slight frown creasing his brow. Severus watched in amazement as he felt a strong wave of magic settling over them. It had a strong sense of _Harry_ for him, but was also mixed in with very earthy tones. Harry’s eyelids flew open, revealing startlingly bright green eyes and the tips of his ears lengthened into points, the changes sending sharp jabs of desire pulsing through Severus. Harry grinned wide, and the thought that Harry had felt his desire flittered briefly through Severus’s mind. His breathing hitched as Harry’s eyes glazed over, he opened his mouth and began intoning a series of phrases in Latin, the bright green of the Elven bonding magic growing deeper with each recitation:

“Duas animas in unum.  
Infragilis vinculo.  
Aeternus amoris.  
Semper fidelis.”

The swirling, earthy-feeling magic shimmered around them, glowing a green almost as dark as the water of the lake outside the windows. Severus watched as it settled down over them, seeming to focus in a central point in both of their chests.

“Harry,” he moaned, his voice hoarse, as he felt the bond sealing itself properly.

Harry’s eyes refocussed, returning to their usual shade of green. He grabbed the back of Severus’s neck and dragged him down onto a searing kiss, feeling as though he were trying to brand Severus as his own with just his lips. Severus had to pull back after a few seconds, gulping air.

“Talk to me, Harry. I need to hear you.”

Harry’s hips jerked as he shot Severus a lust-filled look. “I love you.” He nipped at Severus’s lower lip. “More than I ever thought possible.” Licked at the bite mark. “But I’m going to go insane,” his hands latched onto Severus’s hips. “If you don’t start moving right now.”

Severus was overwhelmed by the strength of the emotions running through both him and Harry. He ducked his head down, biting Harry’s collarbone as he began to thrust into him. Harry’s moans were the most beautiful sound he could imagine, driving him on harder and faster.

“Sev, oh _fuck_... Yes... There, right there... C-can’t hold –”

Severus reached down between them, fisting Harry’s steadily leaking cock. “Don’t hold on... Come for me.”

Harry knotted his hands into Severus’s hair, dragging him up to look into his eyes as he let himself go. The pulse of lust, love and relief pulsing through Harry’s eyes as he came was the most erotic thing Severus had ever seen. He came with a howl of pleasure, buried to the hilt inside his mate.

Severus pulled out and fell down beside Harry, panting heavily. Harry dragged him back to rest on his chest, wrapping himself as tightly around him as he could get. Their legs tangled, Harry tucked Severus’s arms around him and folded his wings up to cocoon them securely in feathers. He then wrapped his arms around Severus’s shuddering body, holding him tight as the relief over the sealing of the bond washed over him.

“It’s ok, Sev. Let go, I’ve got you,” Harry whispered hoarsely.

Severus clung to Harry, unashamed of the tears streaming down his face. The intensity of the relief rushing through him assured that he was not going to be able to stem the flow of the tears, but he found he did not care. His Veela was so incredibly satisfied it was practically purring in his mind. He let all of the frustration, pain and doubt of the past few months flow out of him, relaxing muscles that felt as though they had been tensed up for years. He smiled against Harry’s chest as he felt his mate’s fingers brushing the hair away from his face. He glanced up into Harry’s eyes, seeing wonder flash through them at the deep rush of love he felt.

“ _Mine_ ,” Harry whispered, wiping some of the tears from his face.

“Yes,” Severus replied. He leant up to cover Harry’s face with damp kisses, causing him to squirm and giggle. “I love you.”

“I know,” Harry replied with a cheeky grin, before sobering. “I love you, too.”

Severus claimed Harry’s mouth, their tongues battling. After a few minutes of allowing his mind to wander, Severus began to laugh. It started slowly, just a tingle of amusement as he recognised their actions. It built up into helpless laughter at the confused look on Harry’s face. He gulped deep breaths of air in an attempt to grasp a bit of control over himself before explaining.

“The night you came into your Inheritance, I had a dream about you. It is the same for every dominant Veela. With a few minor changes, what happened today is exactly what I dreamt of you last year.” When Harry still looked confused, Severus grinned and brushed a finger down his mate’s face. “Harry, today you have literally made my dream come true.”

As Harry’s laughter rang through their rooms, Severus could completely understand the slightly hysterical edge to Harry’s relief. The second the bond had sealed, a feeling of safety and security had settled over him, feeding the delirious happiness flooding through the both of them. His Harry was now his completely, both fulfilling the desperate _need_ he had felt for 21 years and laying months of worry to rest at the same time, and Severus could not have been happier about it.

 

 **Latin Translation**  
Two souls in one.  
Unbreakable bond.  
Eternal love.  
Always faithful.


	16. Chapter 16

Severus sighed contentedly as he ran his fingers down Harry’s spine. He was still buzzing with the knowledge that Harry’s bond had finally sealed. The pumping adrenalin kept him wide awake, rather than succumbing to the weariness that had taken Harry a short while ago. The feeling of Harry’s even breaths against his chest as he slept caused him to shiver and his own breathing to hitch a little. It had taken him the better part of an hour to slow his racing heart and calm his Veela enough to be able to retract his wings. Harry had not helped the situation by running his fingers through the sweat-soaked feathers to stroke the join between his wings, or by trailing kisses along his neck. His hair and eyes had not changed back yet, but he could feel his Veela retreating, so he knew it would not be long. After the adrenalin rush had worn off, Harry had finally allowed his exhaustion, both physical and mental, to overtake him and he had fallen into a light sleep, his arms still wrapped around Severus’s shoulders. Severus had been surprised by how long it had taken him to concentrate hard enough to be able to finally manage to retract the wings, distracted as he was. Once he had managed to draw them back in, he rolled over onto his back, taking Harry with him. He had not realised how much extra pressure Harry must have been feeling, but the emotions running down the bond had a lighter feel to them than they had ever had. He had taken the opportunity, while Harry rested, to Summon the discarded book he had been reading and, as the sunlight filtering through from the lake darkened, he had finally found what he had been desperately seeking for the past month. It was a very small, very old magazine article from what appeared to be a publication on what Matrons of magical schools could expect from students with certain creature Inheritances. Someone had taped it to the inside of the back cover of the book he had been reading when Harry had burst into their rooms and written the words “This is the only one!” over the tape.

_

WOOD ELVES

_

_Very little is known about the mysterious Wood Elves by those outside of their clans. They are very protective of their own and, unlike some wizards, are not prejudiced against those among them who are not full-blooded Elves. It is highly unusual for an Elf to be found living on their own, so any students a Matron may encounter who have Wood Elf blood will most likely be a part of a clan. There are four main clans in the United Kingdom and Ireland: Newcastle upon Tyne in England, Cardiff in Wales, Dublin in Ireland and Belfast in Northern Ireland. If it is not possible to contact any of these clans, there are also large clans in Newcastle, New South Wales in Australia; Hamilton in New Zealand; La Havre in France; Valencia in Spain; and Great Falls, Montana in the United States. Details of how to contact each of these clans follow at the end of this article. We are very privileged to be able to speak to Mr. Thomas Ashtoncroft, the Head of the Newcastle upon Tyne clan, who has very graciously agreed to give us as much information as their customs allow._

“Sev?” 

His attention immediately snapped down to his mate at the sound of his voice, thick with fatigue. He trailed his fingers back up Harry’s spine to tangle in the damp hair at the base of his neck.

“What is it, love? You should try to sleep while you can; we still have the Welcoming Feast tonight.”

“If it’s a boy I want to name it after you.” Harry’s hand drew up Severus’s ribcage, coming to rest in the middle of his chest so he could rest his chin on his clenched fist, staring into Severus’s eyes with smug amusement at the shock he saw there.

Severus closed the book, keeping a finger in between the pages so as not to lose his place. Tracing a finger over the bags beneath Harry’s eyes, he allowed his slight confusion to show through on his face, despite knowing Harry could feel it just as well as he could himself. “After me?”

“Mmm, Albus Severus. It’s a good name.” Harry grinned as Severus’s eyes widened.

“Albus Severus?” He shifted so he could place his free hand over Harry’s forehead. “No, you are not running a fever, so I must assume this is some form of psychosis.”

“Hey, come on!” Harry laughed. Severus felt him stifle a yawn, so he swiftly returned his hand to stroke soothingly down between his shoulder blades. “What’s so wrong with it?”

Severus sighed. “It is so very obvious that you grew up with a normal name. If I tell you I shall consider it, will you try to sleep?”

Harry grinned and lay back down beside him, his head resting on Severus’s shoulder. Severus moved his hand in small circles down Harry’s back until he heard his breathing even out and felt his body relax. He stayed still for a few minutes, not daring to stop the motions of his hand for fear of waking his worn out mate. When he was absolutely certain Harry was in a deep enough sleep that slight movements would not wake him, he returned to the article.

_

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

_

_The Wood Elves are physically very similar to humans. A full-blooded Wood Elf will have pointed ears and their eyes will appear to glow permanently, either a bright green or blue. Most half- or less- blooded Elves will only display these attributes during their bonding ritual, or during moments of intense emotional upheaval, unlike the Veela and High Elves, who are able to call upon their specific creature attributes to please or impress their mates. They are biologically of a smaller stature than most other magical beings, naturally gifted in physical activities and have slender builds, making witches and wizards of Wood Elf blood highly sought-after Seekers for world-class Quidditch teams._

Severus was unable to prevent his eyes from trailing down Harry’s body. No wonder he had been one of the best Seekers the Gryffindor Quidditch team had had in years. Gryffindor had struggled ever since Charlie Weasley left, truth be told, until Harry had arrived. A small smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. The rest of the school had never stood a chance against Harry on the Quidditch pitch, not with this kind of heritage. He went back to the article as Harry snuffled in his sleep.

_“Some of the best Seekers in the world have been of Wood Elf blood,” Mr. Thomas Ashtoncroft, Head of the Newcastle clan, tells our reporter. “Due to our smaller size and much higher developed dexterity, Wood Elves tend to make brilliant Seekers. Although, it is a very rare Elf indeed who would be willing to leave their clan, and possibly a mate and children, to travel all around the world with a Quidditch team. The Elders even tend to keep tabs on the outcast members of their clans, in case anything goes wrong.”_

Sorrow, anger and curiosity fought each other to be felt first. Severus clenched his jaw as anger won out by a long shot. If it truly was that rare for a Wood Elf to leave their clan, then how the hell had his mate wound up in such a painful state? Severus had suspected for a while now that a lot of his own tension over the past few weeks had been because he could sense Harry’s. How had the blood been diluted so far that no one had even known that Harry had had a Wood Elf ancestor? Why had the Potters not kept in touch with their clan? What would have happened if Hermione had not discovered that one paragraph? Would they have been able to seal the bond at all? Huffing a little at the unanswered questions, Severus made the decision then and there that he was going to find out which clan Harry’s ancestor had belonged to, and then he was going to flay whoever was responsible for this fiasco alive. He stilled as Harry shifted in his arms, then sighed quietly as he settled back down. He went back to the article as soon as he was sure he was not going to rip it up in anger.

_“No, there are no real genetic abnormalities to watch out for in Wood Elf patients,” Mr. Ashtoncroft responds when asked about general healthcare. “Of course, there are the usual health issues as we grow older, but none that a full wizard would not experience. We are also not prone to any diseases that other wizards aren’t. That’s not to say that we are healthier by any means, just that there should not be anything unusual for a school Matron to worry about with a Wood Elf patient.”_

That, at least, was a relief. Severus knew that certain magical creatures were more prone to specific genetic diseases and abnormalities than other wizards, and it was a weight off his mind that he would not have to monitor Harry, or any of their children, for anything strange. The thought that he had already imagined them having more than one child did not cross his mind, although he did spare a few seconds to wonder why his Veela had suddenly sent a shock of joy through him. He glanced back down to the faded article, finally coming to what he needed to know.

_

BONDS

_

_“One of the most important things one must know when treating a patient with Wood Elf blood is about our bonding system,” Mr. Ashtoncroft continues seriously. “Wood Elves bond for life, much like the Veela and High Elves. Once sealed, the Wood Elf bond is impossible to break, until the occasion of the death of one of the pair. If one of your Matrons comes across a Wood Elf patient with a sealed bond to their recognised mate, then there are a few things they should know. Firstly, we are extremely protective of our mates, whether they are Wood Elves themselves, or not. Second, if you try to prevent a bonded pair from having contact with each other, you will probably find yourself on the wrong end of an extremely nasty set of talons.” At this point, Mr. Ashtoncroft stretched out his fingers, demonstrating the length of the claws he can grow. “Only full-blooded Elves can call upon them at will like that. Half-bloods or less will only be able to display them if they feel that their mate is under threat, or to display to another in an attempt to warn them away from their mate.”_

_“After the bonded pair have been courting for at least three months, in a moment of complete trust and understanding, the bond will be sealed. The key here is the level of trust between the two: it must be absolute on both sides, or the first part of the bonding will not occur. There is no way to imitate the required levels of trust in either party; they must come to this point in their relationship naturally for the bond to seal completely. The submissive of the pair will start Calling to their mate unconsciously after the three month period elapses. The second part of the bonding is the actual ritual of bonding. It is just as physical as that of the Veela and, up until the second of bonding, is completely silent for the submissive partner. Of course, in these modern times, we acknowledge that most couples will have had some kind of sexual congress during the first three months of a relationship, which means that the submissive of the pair will be silent during the actual act until the bond is sealed.” Mr. Ashtoncroft pauses here, seeming to struggle against the magics surrounding the ritual. Eventually he manages to break free, seeming to force the next sentence out. “The ritual itself is in Latin and changes according to the needs of each pair. It is recited by the submissive. I was not supposed to tell you that, as you could probably tell, but it is something that has caused many problems in the past, so it is necessary for your Matrons to know. Once this connection has been made, the bond will be sealed irrevocably.”_

So even if they had known from the start that Harry was more Wood Elf than Veela, they would not have been able to seal the bond until after the three month period had elapsed. Severus examined the thought, knowing that their fight had occurred a few days before they had been together for three months. The night of Harry’s 18th birthday had been about a week after that and it had taken him another month after that to be able to place his complete trust in Harry. He closed his eyes briefly, mentally cursing his distrustful nature, knowing that the bond could have been sealed a few days after the fight if he had been able to simply control his natural instincts. When he opened them again, it was to find Harry staring intently at him.

“I love you,” Harry mumbled, placing a soft kiss on his lips. He raised a finger to tap the middle of Severus’s forehead. “No matter what’s going on up here.”

Severus watched in mild surprise and amusement as Harry lay his head back down and proceeded to go straight back to sleep. He smiled, knowing that Harry must have realised he was mentally berating himself from the emotions flowing down the bond, and had automatically sought to make him feel better. This new connection was going to take a while to get used to.

_“Once the bond has been sealed completely, it will give the submissive complete control over the empathic connection between the pair, allowing them to either turn it off completely, or to lessen the strength of the emotions flowing through the connection. The Elders of the submissive partner’s clan will wish for the dominant to come to them so they can officially recognise the pair as being bonded in their records.”_

_It should be noted here that, while the Elders of the clan may not officially recognise a sealed bond until the dominant of the pair has come to them, in the eyes of the Magical Law Office, they are legally bonded from the second the bond seals during the ritual. This has been made Law, in case a lone Wood Elf forms a bond and is either unwilling or unable to return to their Elders. Mr. Ashtoncroft wishes it to be known that most Elders are more than willing to welcome back a lone Elf who has been out in the world, if they ever wish to return to their clan._

Severus could not help staring down at the top of Harry’s head, wondering if he would ever want to make contact with the clan his family had once belonged to. He flipped the book over so he could read the date of publication. June, 1957. Hermione had said that the Elf was six or seven generations back in Harry’s family, so this was published well after whoever it was had either left, or been cast out from the clan. The shadow of an idea was forming in the back of his mind as he calculated how long ago this ancestor would have to have lived. From what he could tell, it would have to have been back in the early 1800s at least, before even Phineas Nigellus Black had been born. The top of the article had said that there was contact information at the end so maybe, if Harry ever wanted to discover more about them, they could contact one of the clans and try to find out which one he belonged to. He had watched Harry forming his own little family during his years at Hogwarts in the Weasley’s and Hermione; perhaps finding some of his actual blood relations would make his mate happy. A memory of Dumbledore telling him about the treatment Harry had received at the hands of the Dursley’s crossed his mind, reminding him that blood relations were not always what they were cracked up to be. Hell, his own parents were the perfect example of that. He pushed the idea away for the time being, wanting to finish the article before they had to make an appearance at the Welcoming Feast.

_“Some Elves have found that they are unable to trust their partner, leaving them with unsealed bonds, but recognised mates. This will not greatly affect their everyday live. However, they will always feel the Call of their mate in the back of their minds: some have described it as an irritating feeling, nagging at them until they come back into physical contact with their mate again. As with a Veela with an unsealed bond, they must keep up the required levels of physical contact with their mate but, beyond that, there will be little to no difference in their everyday lives.”_

_“Similar to the Veela and High Elves, submissive Wood Elf males have the ability to get pregnant. Due to the high levels of ancient magic involved with these pregnancies, they have a tendency towards twins, or even triplets. It takes an exceptionally strong mate to make the first of a male pregnancy to be a single birth only. We have never assigned any of our own to study why it takes a strong partner to prevent a multiple birth, but as a single birth for a man is so unusual, it is thought that the child resulting in such a birth will be especially gifted in the magical arts, and they tend to become the Heads of clans.” Mr. Ashtoncroft drew himself up proudly here, a wide smile on his face. “I myself am the only son of a very powerful Wood Elf couple who have achieved many great things within our society. Now, as with the Veela and High Elves, male pregnancy for a Wood Elf is very safe, due to the very old magics involved in the conception of the child. There are no extra precautions that should be taken if a Matron does find herself with a male patient who is with child.”_

_We thank Mr. Thomas Ashtoncroft for his contributions to the collective knowledge of Wood Elves for the use in magical schools. You will find contact information for each of the mentioned clans below._

Severus sat staring down at the end of the article blankly. He knew subconsciously that Harry was not pregnant with twins, or triplets for that matter, but that knowledge did not prevent panic from building up in him. His eyes slid unwillingly to the bump Harry had been displaying since his third month. Poppy had said that the reason Harry was showing so early is because he is not female; that women are designed to have children, not men, so men show much earlier. This did not really comfort him as he imagined two or even three ruffle-haired, green-eyed tyrants running around, accidentally setting fire to their house with bursts of uncontrolled magic. He was jerked out of the stupor by Harry’s hand clenching on his chest and his eyes fluttering open. He glanced quickly over to the clock on the wall, seeing that they had less than 45 minutes before they had to be at the Feast.

“Feel any better?” Severus cocked an eyebrow, watching Harry stretch against him like a cat.

“Mmm, yeah,” Harry responded, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. “How long was I out for?”

“Just under three hours all up. Harry,” Severus took a deep breath and pushed himself into a sitting position. “Poppy did say she could hear only one heartbeat during the scan yesterday, right?”

Harry frowned, one hand scrubbing through his mop of hair. “Yeah, she did. Why?”

“I finally found an article on Wood Elves. It said that most men who get pregnant usually have either twins or triplets, due to the high levels of magic involved in the conception.” Severus smiled at the look of surprise on Harry’s face.

“So Albus Severus could have been a twin, or even triplets?” He laughed at the glare Severus shot him. “We might end up with twins or triplets in the future maybe.”

“We may,” Severus avoided the idea by sliding over to grab his wand and cast cleansing and refreshing charms over the both of them. He then Summoned two sets of robes and stood to begin dressing.

“You know,” Harry began, scooting over on the bed as Severus sat down again to button his robes. “We should start thinking of middle names for girls as well. Especially now we have one for a boy.”

Severus scoffed and glowered over his shoulder at his grinning mate. The bed dented in and he found his hands replaced on the buttons by Harry’s. He relaxed back against Harry’s chest, enjoying the feel of warm fingers running first down his white shirt, then the black robes. Harry nudged his hair back and planted soft kisses on his neck, his hot breath tickling down beneath the high collar of the robes.

“Harry,” Severus gasped, eyes involuntarily closing. “We do not have time.”

“You should have woke me earlier. I don’t want to be covering you up.”

Severus chuckled at his mate’s words. “We have a Feast to be getting to and you needed all the sleep you could get. As I am not particularly fond of the idea of being lectured by Minerva in front of the entire school, we should probably get going.”

“Lectured in front of the entire school? She wouldn’t really do that, would she?” Harry actually looked worried as he slid off the bed and laced their fingers together.

“Scared of your former Head of House, Potter?” Severus smiled at the idea.

“With good bloody reason,” Harry exclaimed as they made their way out towards the Great Hall. “The woman’s terrifying!”

Severus allowed Harry to continue listing why he had every right to be scared of Minerva as he led him to the side entrance to the Great Hall. He knew that Harry’s nerves had come back a little at the thought of confronting the entire school all at once, which was why he had started to babble. He turned to face him as they came to the door that led into the Great Hall.

“Harry,” he whispered, trailing a finger down his mate’s face. Harry shut up immediately. “It’s ok.”

Harry reached up and drew Severus into a soft kiss, gently brushing their lips together. Before either of them could really get into the kiss, they heard a quiet noise behind them.

“Why is it I am always the one to interrupt the two of you?” There was amusement in Minerva’s voice as she stepped into view. “I only have one request: please do not allow the students to do the same.”

Severus watched the blush spreading across Harry’s face and decided to come to his mate’s rescue this time. “Do you wish to tell her or should I?”

“You’d let me?”

There was hope and excitement in Harry’s eyes, something Severus could not bring himself to deny. At his slight nod, Harry grinned wide and stepped out of the circle of his arms. Minerva looked between the two of them in expectation.

“Well erm... the bond’s been sealed Professor.” Severus had to smile at the awkwardness of Harry’s words. “Sev’s also found some information on where we might be able to contact some of the Elf clans.”

Severus braced himself, remembering the strength of Minerva’s reaction to finding out they were pregnant. She scooped Harry into a smothering embrace, the folds of her midnight blue robes covering him completely. Severus found he was unable to stop from grinning as Minerva grabbed him and dragged him into the embrace. He could not tell if she was laughing, crying or both, but whichever it was, she sounded happy.

“Normally I would say that this calls for a celebratory whiskey, but...” She glanced down at Harry’s stomach as she released them both, her eyes dancing, before sighing happily. “I knew everything would work out in the end for the two of you. Congratulations, you both deserve this kind of happiness.”

Severus found himself thoroughly agreeing as Harry grasped his fingers again before following him into the Great Hall behind Minerva.


	17. Chapter 17

“Do you think Shacklebolt was right? That I should try to make friends with Potter and his lot? That I should just forget all about Pansy and Goyle and the rest of my friends?”

Severus stared at the thin form of Draco Malfoy, who had stopped by a window on the second floor of Hogwarts, the moonlight bathing him in colour through the stained glass. It was the last night of his ‘tutoring’ Draco in what he should expect while roaming the halls of the castle, acting as Head of House. Tomorrow would be the first night Draco would patrol on his own, and the first night since the term started four days ago that Severus would be able to go directly home with Harry. It was also the first night that Draco had come out from behind the barriers he had put up after the War to speak to Severus in the same way he always had. Severus remembered the overly cocky, supercilious, assertive boy Draco had been during his first five years at the school and the dramatic transformation he had gone through over the summer after his fifth year. Before the War Draco had always spoken relatively openly before Severus, at least as openly as a teenager could in front of a Professor. However, every single time they had been together after the War, Draco had been quiet, withdrawn and had not met his eyes. Severus frowned as he continued down the corridor.

“I think it would be a very good idea for you to separate yourself from your so-called ‘friends’, for the time being, at least. As much as I hate to say it, Draco, you are in a very delicate position. Harry’s testimony is probably the only thing that kept you out of Azkaban, despite your father giving up all the places the Ministry could find rogue Death Eaters.” _He is certainly the only reason I am still free._ “Your school friends still have the taint of being associated with Death Eaters, Miss Parkinson and Mr. Goyle especially. I am not saying that you should try to replace them with Harry and his friends, just that making nice with him would make your life here a lot easier.”

“You know my father doesn’t like that I’m working here.” Draco’s footsteps quickened so he could catch up with Severus, who was nearly to the end of the corridor.

The apparently abrupt change of subject shocked him a little, but Severus figured that this was what Draco had been building up to speaking with him about. “Yes, well, your father is a fucking moron, so you will have to forgive me if I ignore everything he has to say.”

Severus slowed, holding a hand up to indicate to Draco to stop. He raised his wand, pointing it towards a dark alcove ahead of them. Draco nodded and moved quietly forward, holding off lighting the tip of his wand until the last second. When he did, a couple – Ravenclaw and Gryffindor sixth years from the look of them – jumped apart guiltily, staring up at him in shock.

“Get dressed and back to your dormitory. Twenty points from both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor.”

Severus smiled at the command in Draco’s voice. He was going to turn out to be a very good Professor, given enough time. He muttered a spell and saw 11:53 p.m. flash up where he had waved his wand.

“It appears we are almost out of time, Mr. Malfoy. I will give you this one last piece of advice before leaving. No one can tell you what to do; you have to follow your own instincts. However, you must also remember that you are no longer a child. You are now legally considered an adult and are thus expected to take full responsibility for your own actions. If you choose to continue your association with Mr. Goyle and Miss Parkinson, you will forever be seen in the same light as they are. I am not saying that Harry is your only chance of having a relatively normal life. Everyone associated with him will always be in some kind of spotlight, whether they wish to be or not. What I am saying is that there are people out there who you could become friendly with who will not have the same influence on what remains of your good reputation as your school friends.” Severus watched his words sink in, wondering if Draco and Harry would ever be able to get over their mutual distrust and dislike. “You should also remember that, while you may love and respect him, your father has made more mistakes in his lifetime than most men combined. He should not hold much influence over the way you wish to live your life, especially if you are happy with the direction it is currently taking.”

Draco nodded slowly. “Thank-you, Severus. I had already figured out that Pansy, Goyle and the rest would continue to make my life difficult, especially considering their parents are mostly either dead or in Azkaban by now.” He sighed, looking much older than his 18 years. “I’ll try. I cannot guarantee we will ever be proper friends, but I can at least try for polite in public. And I agree about Father: he can be a complete fucking idiot.”

An entirely unwanted rush of sympathy for the man in front of him washed through Severus. He knew how it felt to be completely alone in the world and was thankful that the same mistakes that had been available to him at that age were no longer an option. He then had to resist the urge to roll his eyes at himself, as he remembered that Draco had managed to achieve that ‘honour’ much earlier than Severus had. Perversely, the guilt he felt over his failure to protect Draco and so many of his other former students manifested itself in the incredibly strong desire to be with his mate. He offered Draco a smile, trying to not allow the sadness he felt for the young man to show through, but was fairly certain he had failed miserably.

“Politeness in public is all the rest of the staff are asking at the moment. You know how to contact me if there is something urgent?” He waited until Draco nodded before moving off down the hall, trying not to think about the pathetic picture Draco made standing alone in the corridor, the light from his wand glinting in his grey eyes. 

Making his way quickly through the castle, he crossed the grounds and Apparated the second he crossed the boundary of the school. Landing in the cold hall of their house in Hogsmeade, Severus jogged up the stairs to the second level, stripping himself of his constricting black robes as he went. His long legs covered the distance from the landing to their bedroom quickly. The reminder that Draco had so very nearly gone the exact same way he had at that age had made the craving to be near his mate stronger than he had felt in a while. Severus knew that Draco’s taking the Mark had not been his fault, that Draco had had no choice, unless he wanted both his parents murdered, but that did not stop the guilt he felt over everything that had happened.

He pushed the door to their bedroom open as quietly as possible, smiling when he saw that Harry had left the curtains draping the bed open for him. He yanked the robes and clothes off and spelled them over onto a chair. Sitting down gingerly on the edge of the bed, he wrenched his black boots off, reminding himself to refresh the warming charms on them, as his feet were now icy with cold. He slipped beneath the blankets, reaching for Harry automatically as he did.

“Sev,” Harry whispered sleepily as Severus settled down behind him. “Missed you.”

Severus let out a sigh of contentment as he tucked his right arm beneath the pillows under Harry’s head, wrapping the other around his mate’s chest, all thoughts of former students fading rapidly. Harry snuggled closer; rubbing his warm feet over Severus’s frozen ones in an attempt to warm them. This was one of Harry’s apparently hundreds of little quirks that made Severus’s stomach flutter. The fact that Harry actually moved to warm him, when practically everyone else Severus had ever known would have shied away from their lover’s cold feet in bed, made him almost lightheaded with desire for his mate. Or it could have been the fact that the motion of Harry’s feet was rubbing his softly rounded arse into Severus’s swelling cock. Whichever it was, Severus did not care, as he pulled Harry flush against him.

“Harry,” he moaned into the soft skin beneath Harry’s ear.

He took one of Harry’s nipples between his fingers, pinching and tweaking it until it stood to full attention before moving onto the other. Harry arched into his touch, his head falling back to expose the tender flesh of his neck. Severus raised himself up on his elbow so he could trail kisses down Harry’s neck, his teeth grazing against the thrumming pulse before he latched on and sucked hard. The fingers of the hand resting under the pillows brushed against Harry’s and were immediately grasped in a bruising grip. Harry’s free hand came up to tug on Severus’s hair, dragging him from the hot pulse point at the base of his neck into a heated kiss. He wriggled his hips, obviously trying to get closer and began to smile through the kiss as Severus moaned deeply.

“Sev, I need... Pl –oh!” Harry’s pleading was cut short as Severus trailed his hand over the swell of his belly to graze his fingernails down the underside of his weeping cock. “Oh, fuckfuckfuckfuck, yes!”

Severus grinned as he moved his lips to Harry’s shoulder. Bending his top leg to give himself better access, he thrust his hips, sliding his throbbing cock between Harry’s cheeks. He dipped his fingers through the trail of pre-cum running down Harry’s swollen prick, smoothing it all over the thick head before wrapping his fingers around the shaft and squeezing.

“Gods, Sev,” Harry groaned. “Yes, good...”

Severus concentrated on the intensity of the emotions thrumming through the bond as he moved his hand in time to the thrusts of his hips. He waited until he heard the slight hitching of Harry’s breath and felt him just about to fall over the edge before backing off.

“Wha-? No, no... So close.”

Severus grinned at the slight whine in Harry’s voice as he reached behind him, trying to bring Severus closer. Severus had to grab Harry’s wrist as he gave up on reaching him and moved to finish himself off. He trapped the reaching hand against Harry’s hip, effectively preventing him from turning over to rut against the mattress at the same time. Harry grunted and began to wriggle, trying to find a source of friction.

“No, no, Mr. Potter.” His voice was deeper than usual, rough with lust, and he felt Harry shiver at the sound. “You need to cool down a bit first.”

He leant in to lick along the edge of Harry’s ear in front of him. He sucked the lobe into his mouth, eliciting a moan from his writhing mate. He grinned as Harry began to mumble. He could not make out many of the words, but Harry made sure ‘sadist’ rang out clearly.

“Oh, Harry, if I wished to torture you, it would be much more fun than just a little bit of denial,” Severus chuckled into Harry’s hair. “I could have you tied to this bed and _begging_ for release; there are potions that will have you so hard you feel as though you will explode; spells that multiply your desire, but take away your _ability_.”

With this, he ran his fingers down the length of Harry’s cock, trailing them through the pre-cum flowing steadily down the shaft. Harry moaned raggedly, his hips jerking as Severus gently inserted a finger into his hot entrance. The steady stream of words tumbling from Harry’s mouth changed from cursing the day Severus had been born, to words of encouragement. Harry eagerly took a second finger, pushing down onto them as they scissored inside him, opening him wider. Severus avoided trying to hit Harry’s prostate, knowing he was still very close to coming as he writhed on the fingers inside him. Harry’s moans vibrated through Severus as he added a third finger. He could feel his Veela very close to the surface of his mind, not quite forcing itself through, but very close all the same. Harry whimpered as Severus removed his fingers, arching his back to keep contact. The whimper changed to a deep moan as Severus positioned his aching cock at Harry’s tight entrance.

“Yes, Sev, please,” Harry breathed, pushing against him.

“Easy, love,” Severus soothed him, fingers wrapping around the base of Harry’s cock as he pushed forward gently. “I could never deny you long.”

He stilled as soon as he was completely sheathed, despite the whimpered pleas of the man in front of him. Even if Harry wanted him to move faster, Severus could not: his Veela would never allow him to hurt his mate, and he knew he had to give him time to adjust to his intrusion. When Harry began thrusting into his hand, Severus pulled back and thrust back in, pulling a needy whine out of Harry. He could not help the grin that spread across his face as he increased his pace, enjoying the sensation of built-up pressure coming down to him from Harry. He tightened his grip on Harry’s twitching cock, keeping him from coming until the very last second. When he knew he was close, he released his grip.

“Come now, Harry,” he grunted, already feeling the beginnings of Harry’s orgasm.

“Oh fuck, Sev!” Harry screamed as his body began to spasm.

Hot spurts of cum gushed out of him rapidly, covering his swollen belly and Severus’s hand as he stroked him through it. Severus lowered his head to Harry’s shoulder, nipping at the sweaty skin as he thrust deeper and faster, racing towards completion. 

“Harry, oh Gods,” he moaned. His hips jerked once more before he found his release, coating Harry’s tight passage with jets of cum.

“I love you, Sev,” Harry whispered a few minutes later.

He turned to face him, pushing Severus onto his back so he could lie down on his stomach on top of him. Severus heard him mutter a cleaning charm before resting his forehead on Severus’s chest, just under his collarbone. Severus ran his hands down Harry’s back to cup his arse, dragging him upwards into a soft kiss.

“I love you, too, Harry. You know I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you, right?” He knew Harry knew he never would but his Veela was pushing him to ask, after hearing Harry call him a sadist.

“Of course.” There was an edge of humour to Harry’s voice, as though he found the question amusing. “I know I’m completely safe as long as I’m with you.”

Severus sighed in satisfaction as Harry pressed their lips together again softly. Warmth spread through him as he relaxed back into the mattress, Harry cradled securely in his arms.

*~*

“You have five minutes left; if you have not completed your potions by now, you are not going to. Place a bottled sample at the front of your desk and start cleaning up.”

Severus gave himself a little shake as he walked among his combined seventh- and eighth-years, trying to get rid of the sensation of Harry’s confusion running down the bond. It was at times like this that he wished he could also read what it was that was causing the emotions he got from Harry. As it stood, he only knew that he was not in danger, just incredibly confused by something. He briefly considered projecting his own mild irritation back through to Harry, but quickly discarded the idea, knowing it would probably just annoy his mate.

He paused in front of the desk at the back of the class that Hermione sat behind, glanced down at her bottled potion and gave her a slight smile none of the rest of the class could see. Minerva had seen fit to combine the seventh- and eighth-years, as there were so few of them who had chosen to continue their education and they would be learning the exact same things anyway. None of his eighth-year Slytherins had come back, not that he could really blame them: the remaining Slytherins, the ones who had no choice but to come back to school, were taking enough abuse as it was without their being here to exacerbate the situation. He had discovered that there really was not that much he could do, other than to counsel them to not hit back, and to come to the nearest Professor if things got too bad for them to handle on their own. This was where the returning eighth-years came in very handy: the staff knew they could rely on them to break up any fights that occurred in the corridors that they could not get to themselves. They had all fought in the War, alongside the Professors and the seventh-years, and had seen enough fighting to last them all a lifetime.

Making his way slowly back down the classroom, Severus eyed the bottled potions critically. By the time he had reached the front of the class, he already knew which of his students were going to pass and which were going to fail, although he was thankful that there were only a couple who had not made the deadline. He had not relaxed his rigid standards for entry into his N.E.W.T level classes, still only accepting students who had achieved an Outstanding in their exams. This only meant that there were not many students in his higher-level classes, which suited him perfectly. He had no patience for time-wasters, especially considering this class was the last of the week and he really did not want to start his weekends stressed out from teaching morons. He crossed his arms in front of his chest as he turned to face the quiet class.

“You are to complete your homework and place four feet of parchment on my desk at the beginning of the next class. Any less than that and you will fail. Dismissed.”

He turned back to his desk, thoughts already turning to Harry and the weekend ahead of them. They had no real plans, other than needing to spend as much time in each other’s company as possible. Harry had been making noises recently about wanting to properly get back in touch with the Weasley’s, considering he had not seen much of them since the students had left Hogwarts. He had invited the entire clan over for lunch on Sunday in an attempt to combine his old life with his new. Severus had no real objection to the idea, but was wondering exactly how Molly and Arthur would react to him. He knew the day would go by much smoother for him if Harry was not the only one in the room who did not harbour a grudge against him.

“Professor?” Severus turned at the sound of Hermione’s hesitant voice. “I wanted to thank you for allowing me to read this.”

Severus reached automatically for the heavy book she hauled out of her book bag, recognising it as the one he had found the information about the Elves in. He placed it on the desk behind him as an idea struck him.

“Tell me, Miss Granger. What do you think of them?”

He did not really care about her answer and was only half listening to her prattling on about how fascinating they were and how amazing it would be to be able to meet them. All he really wanted to do was stall her long enough so that she would be there when Harry came barging into the room, excited to start their weekend. He did not know if Harry had thought to invite Hermione this Sunday, but Severus had realised that he got along with her much better than he had thought possible, so if Harry had not thought to invite her, Severus was going to remind him.

“Sev, let’s get out of here!” Harry came rushing into the room, his deep green robes flowing out behind him.

Severus allowed Hermione to see the bright smile that flashed across his face at the sight of Harry, registering her blush as she turned away. He circled his arms around his mate, pulling him into a deep kiss. Harry hummed happily as he pulled back, tracing a finger along Severus’s jaw. He grinned, contentment flowing down through the bond, before turning to Hermione.

“Don’t tell me you’ve finally managed a detention, Hermione.” Amusement coloured his voice, sending warmth through Severus.

“What do you mean ‘finally’? You know very well you’ve gotten me thrown into detention before,” she grinned at him, softening her words.

Severus found that he could not suppress a smile as he watched Harry interacting with one of his best friends. His mate was safe and incredibly happy, his emotions since the sealing of his bond had felt lighter than Severus had ever imagined possible and, if Severus was reading him correctly, he had plans for tonight, ones that could not involve anyone besides the two of them. He pushed off his desk as Harry stepped back from Hermione, flashing Severus a heated glance that had Hermione blushing again.

“So we’ll see you on Sunday, right?” Harry was saying as Severus moved to grasp his hand.

“Of course,” Hermione replied, still avoiding looking up at either of them. “We’re looking forward to it.”

Severus felt a rush of happiness from Harry at Hermione’s use of the plural in reference to her and Ronald Weasley. He surprised himself with his own rush of relief at hearing she would be there. _Truly pathetic, Severus_ , he thought sarcastically. _Using a student as a shield against her future in-laws._ However pathetic he thought his actions were, he was not going to pass up the opportunity if presented to him. He gave her a small smile as she took her leave, still a little red.

“Was that absolutely necessary?” He pulled Harry back into the circle of his arms, inhaling the scent of his hair.

“No, but it’s about time I got some payback after what I had to put up with from those two.” Harry grinned up at him, before turning serious. “Sev, would you know why Draco’s acting weird around me?”

Severus frowned, wondering if he was about to discover why Harry had been feeling confused during the last class. “What kind of weird?”

“He’s... well... being _nice_. I mean, usually I get a lot of insults from him, a lot of sarcasm and he always criticises the way I treat the students. Says I’m too soft on them. But today, all he did was sit in the corner, watching the students and taking points from the ones who weren’t listening. Then, after class ended, we actually managed to have a proper conversation about the lesson plans for the next few weeks.” Harry dragged a hand through his hair, confusion running through him again.

“Perhaps he has matured a little over the past few months. Perhaps he really does wish to give Shacklebolt’s suggestion a go and at least attempt to make friends.” He grinned at the shocked look Harry shot him. “People can change, Harry. Sometimes all it takes is a nudge in the right direction.”

Harry laughed as he pulled Severus down into a kiss, draping his arms around his neck. “So it _was_ you. I figured you’d have something to do with trying to humanise Draco. Come on; let me show you how grateful I am.”

Severus smiled broadly at the rush of desire down the bond as he followed Harry out of the castle. They got a few strange looks from students enjoying the last of the sunlight as they crossed the grounds: a former Death Eater walking hand-in-hand with the Saviour of the Wizarding World. Severus ignored them all, choosing instead to focus on how incredibly good it felt to have Harry beside him, laughing and gesticulating wildly as he described something that had happened in class that day. Not even the prospect of a Molly Weasley interrogation could dampen his good mood.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have a confession. I don't like reading drunk and depressed George, so when I realised I hadn't mentioned any funerals or memorials, I took the chance and left Fred alive. I figured since I left all my favourite characters dead, I'd give myself this one. :)

“Oh, Harry it’s so good to see you looking so healthy!”

“You’re smothering him, Molly.”

“No, it’s ok, Mr. Weasley; I’m fine.”

“Oh, do be careful, Fleur, dear. We don’t want you hurt in your condition!”

“It’s alright, mum, I’ve got her.”

“Good morning, Harry. How are you?”

“I’m great, Percy, thanks.”

“Oh, lighten up, Perce!”

“Hey, where’s Ginny?”

“Still at school, idiot. She’s a seventh-year.”

“Fred, be nice to your brother.”

“Aww, don’t want to upset ickle Ronnikins, do we?”

“I’m taller than you two!”

Severus leant back against the doorway between the hall and living room, arms crossed across his chest in an unconsciously defensive posture, slightly overwhelmed by the flood of almost fluorescent orange hair that had invaded his home. He had known what the Weasleys were like when they were together from his time spent at Grimmauld Place, but he had not been subjected to almost the entire clan chattering happily away at once. Harry, Hermione and Fleur were the only relief from the blinding ginger wave, standing out like islands. He relaxed his posture a little as Arthur broke out of the clump, eyes wary, but hand extended.

“Severus,” he muttered as they shook hands, drawing himself up to his full height, matching Severus’s own. “Good to see you well. Nasty bite that snake had.”

Severus allowed his lips to turn up at the edges. He had almost forgotten that Arthur was the only other person known to have survived Nagini’s bite. He clasped the other man’s hand, relaxing a little more as he saw that he was not to be ostracised by the people Harry considered family straight away. He knew how much these people meant to Harry and his Veela had been pushing him to try to be accepted by them, despite the fact that he knew exactly how at least Ronald thought of him.

“Yes, you too, although I do have to admit that I may have cheated a little with the healing process. I would be dead now, if not for Harry.” His eyes flickered over to his beaming mate, warmth flooding through him at the sight.

“You’re not alone there. He’s saved most of the people in this room at some point or another. Quite a remarkable mate you’ve found yourself.” Severus’s attention whipped immediately back to Arthur at the tone of his voice to find his blue eyes flashing. “Molly and I have considered Harry a son for years now. If you hurt him in any way, you will answer to her.”

Severus smirked as Arthur moved back into the chattering crowd to stand beside his wife. Of course Molly would be the one they would all threaten to set on him should any harm came upon Harry. He had been told of her defeat of Bellatrix during the Final Battle, so he knew the threats were not empty. He had absolutely no doubt that she was a formidable witch, or that she would not hesitate to hex him into next week if she thought he was mistreating Harry. Not that he was scared of her in any way: his own abilities were one of the few things about himself that Severus had always had confidence in. He had known he was quite powerful since he had first arrived at Hogwarts and saw no reason to deny it.

He found himself automatically retreating behind the impassive blank mask he often wore in public as the cacophonous jumble of voices rose in volume, each person trying to be heard above all the others. He surveyed the scene in front of him, wondering if he would ever be able to get used to such noise. They had split into two groups, each laughing and chattering gleefully. Percy, Charlie, Bill and Fleur had retreated a small distance from the others, claiming the seats by the window. They appeared to be deep in a serious discussion, Bill’s arm wrapped protectively around Fleur’s waist. Severus recognised the action, having held Harry in the exact same way many times over the past few months. He looked into her eyes as he sensed her watching him. She gave him a slight smile, her hand coming to rest on her flat stomach. He nodded, a small smile gracing his lips before he returned to scanning the crowd of people in front of him. Fred, George, Hermione, Ronald and Harry were talking animatedly by the fire, George and Ronald apparently trying to outdo each other to make the other three laugh. They had transfigured a few armchairs and Fred had claimed the one closest to the fire. He had come very close to death during the Final Battle due to an exploding wall, and had declared in a loud voice that he had to be closest to the fire because the heat helped with his injuries. Severus strongly suspected that was complete bullshit and watched in amusement as Fred ordered Ronald around, waving his cane through the air, almost taking George’s head off a few times. Harry sat on the lounge beside Hermione, laughing at the twin’s antics, while Arthur appeared to be standing watch over his brood, an indulgent smile on his face. Severus frowned when he did not see Molly in the room, pushed off from the wall and made his way into the kitchen. He found her setting pots and pans flying around the room, preparing to make lunch.

“Molly? Please do not think yourself obligated to cook for everyone–”

“I am well aware that I don’t have to,” she interrupted him without turning around. “I want to.”

Severus studied the short, plump witch in front of him. It really was difficult to reconcile this motherly person draped in shawls with someone capable of killing the psychotic madwoman that had been Bellatrix Lestrange. He watched as she deftly set pots and pans on the stove with a flick of her wand, not once turning to look at him. He silently sat down at the table, knowing that she would unleash whatever hell was coming to him soon enough. The sound of Harry’s laugh echoed through to him, causing him to turn automatically to stare at the wall in the direction the sound had come from, his lips turning up at the edges slightly. When he could no longer hear his mate, he turned back to find Molly standing with her hands on her hips, seemingly attempting to resist the urge to smile at his reaction.

“Molly?”

The sound of his voice was apparently enough to make her snap back into protective-mother mode. She leant forward, her glare pinning him to the hard wooden chair he sat in.

“What are your intentions?” The fierce look she was giving him would have made a lesser man quail and spill everything.

“My ‘intentions’?” He knew he was stalling, and that it would annoy the hell out of her, but he could not resist the urge to irritate her. “Regarding what, exactly? Or should I say _whom_?”

“Severus Snape, I have raised six boys, seven when you count Harry, as well as a very strong-willed girl. I know every devious trick in the book, so you aren’t going to be able to distract me by playing dumb, because I know you aren’t. For the past seven years, Arthur and I have considered Harry to be one of our own and now that he doesn’t have either Sirius or Remus, we are the only family he has. At least the only people who have ever _treated_ him like family. So I would like to know what your intentions are regarding Harry.” She paused, eyeing him critically.

He had very carefully restrained his reactions, especially when she had mentioned Black and Lupin. Despite the fact that Lupin appeared to have matured since the last time Severus had had contact with him, he still could not reconcile the man he had become with the man he once was. As for Black... well. He and Harry had come to an unspoken decision about Black. Harry did not mention him to Severus and Severus did not abuse his memory; at least, not where Harry could hear him. Not that it mattered much anymore, he told himself, as they were both dead. He jerked his attention back to the glaring woman in front of him as he leant back in the chair.

“Fleur is part-Veela; have you spoken to her about the way Veela bond?”

Molly sighed and flicked her wand towards a group of potatoes, which began peeling themselves. “Yes, I have. She told me that it’s impossible for you to leave him, although she wouldn’t say why. But just because you cannot leave him doesn’t mean that this has to be an actual relationship and that’s what’s got me worried. Forgive me, but you have never seemed the type of person to settle down, especially with someone like Harry and now he’s pregnant and...”

Severus watched as she plonked herself gracelessly into one of the other chairs, looking incredibly stressed. She ran a hand through her bright orange hair, causing parts of it to come out of the loose bun and fall around her face. From what Severus could see, it looked very much as though she had not been sleeping anywhere near as much as she should have been: she looked paler than usual, bags had formed under her eyes and it seemed as though she had lost weight. He spared a couple of seconds to wonder vaguely what it was about him that had changed since the War that made nearly all the women in his life want to either threaten or coddle him. There really was no middle ground with some of them: Hermione had helped with his research of the Elves and threatened to make his life a living hell if he upset Harry on his birthday; Minerva had allowed them both all the freedom they needed after they had first bonded and then spent most of Harry’s birthday lecturing him; now Molly Weasley was looking to follow in their footsteps. He would apparently have to keep an eye out for Narcissa, just in case. Giving himself a mental slap, he turned back to his current problem.

“I will not lie to you, Molly; at first this was simply about my own desire to survive. Yes, I had always craved a mate who I would be able to have a proper relationship with, start a family with and whom I could trust completely. However, that dream slipped a little each year as I got older. I had resigned myself to hoping simply for someone who would be willing to seal the bond and keep up the required amount of physical contact to keep me alive.

“I had felt Harry come into his Inheritance, but I did not know it was him, just that my mate was out there somewhere. The night Voldemort decided that I was no longer of any use to him was when I finally was able to figure it out. I assume it only happened because of Harry’s close proximity to me as I attempted to discover the identity of my mate. He...” Severus paused, trying to figure out how to put what he knew Molly had to know into words. “If Harry had been unwilling, then there was no way I could have forced him, in the state I was in. He could have left me to die right there in the Shrieking Shack and no one but he, Ronald and Hermione would have been any the wiser. He also could have chosen to leave any time after my side of the bond had been sealed, but he did not, by his own choice.”

Molly sat and stared at him for a long minute, her bright brown eyes narrowed. Then, with a huff, she stood to continue with lunch. Severus stared at her back, wondering if his interrogation was over. It had certainly been short if it was. He had thought the Weasley clan would have been his staunchest opponents, especially considering what had happened with George’s ear last year. He started a little when she suddenly spun back around, brandishing a large serving spoon at him.

“Do you love him?” She looked as though she were dreading his answer, but that she had to ask anyway.

He puffed out a breath in frustration. _Brilliant: yet another person who believes me incapable of human emotion._ “Molly, you know how determined Harry can be when he finds something he wants. You also know how incredibly loyal he is to the people he considers his own. I did not stand a chance: he made it impossible for me not to love him.”

She stood staring at him again, but this time her arms were limp at her sides and her eyes shining suspiciously. She blinked a couple of times before spinning back around to the sink. “Good. You may go.”

Without even stopping to wonder at her sudden change in demeanour, Severus stood and made good his escape into the hallway. He closed the door quietly and leant back against it, eyes sliding shut in relief. _Fucking women! I shall never understand them._ A small noise grabbed his attention and he opened his eyes in time to get a flash of bright green eyes before Harry stood on his toes to wrap his arms around his neck. Severus buried his face into his mate’s neck, inhaling his scent as he wound his arms securely around his middle.

“Have I ever told you how incredibly grateful I am that you are not a woman?”

Severus shivered as Harry’s laugh vibrated through him. He pulled back a little as he felt warm lips nibbling at his ear. Harry brushed their lips together, sighing in contentment.

“You know, I’m quite glad I’m not a woman as well,” he replied with a smirk. “It’d put a bit of a damper on certain things.”

Severus found himself chuckling quietly as Harry waggled his eyebrows ridiculously and leered at him. He allowed himself to be dragged back into the living room, automatically schooling his expression back into a blank mask. As much as he wanted – _needed_ – these people to accept him, there was no way he was willing to let his guard down too much around them just yet. The groups had rearranged themselves in his absence and he and Harry were willingly separated between the two.

Ronald called Harry over to where he was sitting with Fred, George and Charlie. With a last look up at him, Harry moved over near the window, as Hermione called Severus over to the chairs beside the fire. For the next hour or so, Severus found himself in the middle of a heated debate over the current state of the Ministry. Percy had quit his job during the Battle of Hogwarts and had stuck to his decision. He did not believe that Kingsley would be much better than his former bosses because he had been unable to remove many of the elderly members, who were so stuck in their ways that they would most likely never change. Much to his surprise, Hermione had cautiously agreed with him. Severus could not question her reasoning: as much as she liked and respected Kingsley, it was going to take a lot to force an institution as old as the Ministry to change their ways. Arthur, Bill and Fleur were all arguing strongly against the other two. Severus suspected this was because two of them were currently still working for the Ministry, but he kept that opinion to himself. He listened to all of their arguments before wading in, giving his opinion openly. They had not settled anything between the six of them by the time Molly called them all out to lunch, but Severus was gradually beginning to relax.

Molly had set out a table and chairs outside, ‘to catch the last of the warm weather’, as she put it. Severus offered Harry a small smile when he grabbed his hand and moved him off towards the table, apparently not caring where he sat, as long as he got a seat. He found himself seated between Harry and Fleur, whom he now had no doubt was pregnant. He watched in amusement as she piled her plate high with mashed potato and sausages, all smothered in tomato sauce.

“Ugh, Harry, that’s disgusting!”

His attention whipped back to his mate at the sound of Hermione’s voice. Harry was quite happily smothering an orange quarter with chocolate topping, licking his lips in anticipation. Hermione groaned in disgust as Harry bit into it, the combination of orange juice and topping oozing down his chin.

“Gods, that’s good,” Harry moaned obscenely, licking at the dribbles.

“Pregnancy cravings,” Severus provided, smirking at the horrified look on Hermione’s face. “Just think yourself lucky you have not seen him dip pickles into a bowl of that topping.”

“Oh, I remember the pickle cravings!” Molly exclaimed from a couple of seats down, leaning out around Bill and Fleur to watch Harry eat. “Don’t you ever deny yourself, Harry dear; you’ll need all the energy they provide you for the birth.”

Severus could not resist a smirk at his mate’s expense when a look of horror crossed his face. Unfortunately, Harry caught the look and Severus felt a sharp fingernails jab into his ribs in response. Thankfully, Fleur took the opportunity to fill the small lull in the conversation.

“‘ave you come up with any names yet? We would not want to double up.” She spoke softly, confirming Severus’s suspicions.

Severus thought to himself that there was little chance of Fleur and Harry’s tastes in names being similar, but kept quiet. He leant back in his seat to allow Harry to be able to see Fleur sitting next to him, and indicated that he could answer.

“We have a first name for a girl, and a first and middle for a boy.”

Severus immediately regretted allowing Harry to ever open his mouth. “We have a first _only_ for a boy as well,” he muttered, shooting a grinning Harry a glare.

“What do you mean?” Hermione looked confused.

“I want to name him Albus Severus, but Sev doesn’t want to let me.”

Severus blinked at the sudden cry of voices at Harry’s pronouncement. It sounded like most of the assembled Weasleys were heavily in agreement with Severus: that the combination of those two names was an incredibly bad idea. Fleur sat beside him looking almost as fascinated as Severus was at the sudden uproar. He had never bothered to find out much about her during the very brief time she had spent at Hogwarts a few years ago, beyond checking to see if she had any connection to the Death Eaters, who had been amassing at the time, so he had no idea if she was from a large family or not.

“Ok, ok, so none of you like it,” Harry mumbled grumpily as the noise level died down again.

The conversation fell to the ministry again after that, and whether Shacklebolt could manage to get it back on track. Severus only half listened, just enough to be able to respond if anyone asked him anything. His mind was much more occupied in monitoring Harry. He had gone quiet after being howled down, focussing on his food more than the conversation. Their empathic link was of no use to him at that moment, as Harry’s emotions were all over the place, seemingly unable to settle on one at a time. He sighed after a few minutes and reached his hand beneath the table to rest on Severus’s thigh. Harry’s mind seemed to clear the second they touched and he glanced up to offer Severus a slight smile. Severus raised an eyebrow, to which Harry shook his head. Severus had no idea what he had been trying to ask, but Harry was feeling much calmer now, something that would always reassure him.

“So, George,” Harry began, grabbing both of the twin’s attention. “How’s the shop going? Is Ron a good worker?”

“Work? You think he actually knows the meaning of the word?”

“Yeah, he spends most of his time testing out the latest products,” Fred put in with a sly smirk to George. “We’ll be out of stock by the end of next month if he keeps going.”

The conversation continued energetically along in this manner all afternoon. Harry and the twins spent much of the day joking around at Ronald’s expense, who gave just as good as he got, but was far too outmatched, as Hermione refused to join in their part of the conversation. She divided her time much in the same way Severus did: between discussing the Ministry’s inner workings, and mostly listening to Fleur and Molly discussing Fleur’s impending motherhood. Severus was attempting to not listen too closely to the discussion on what to expect when the baby finally arrived, as it still held an element of unreality for him. He knew, deep down, that he would be changing nappies, cleaning up ‘accidents’ and not sleeping anywhere near as much as he was used to. However, despite the fact that Harry was now starting to nest – painting one of the spare rooms a pale green and beginning to look around for baby furniture – it still did not seem real. He assumed it was going to hit him all at once, probably at a very inconvenient time, knowing his luck.

Molly and Arthur began to mention that they should really be going as the sun began to set. A swift glance over to Harry told Severus that this decision was a good one. His mate was beginning to wilt: looking incredibly happy, but tired. The volume of the voices died down as everyone stood and began to say their goodbyes. Severus was mildly surprised when he received a handshake from everyone present, even if some of them were slightly more forceful than was absolutely necessary. The entire clan departed through the floo, except Hermione, who began the journey back to the school after further goodbyes. Severus circled his arms around Harry’s waist, his hands clasped gently on his bloated belly as the door closed behind the last of their guests.

“How do you last through an entire school day without falling asleep if a day spent with your friends makes you this tired?”

Harry gave a little laugh as he leant back into the embrace. “I spend a lot of it in a bored stupor while Draco demonstrates something. The rest of the time the students are writing stuff down, so I can let my mind wander.”

“Perhaps you should not allow it to wander too far by itself; it may get lost.”

Harry spun around at that, but his objection was silenced by Severus capturing his mouth. He did not react for a few seconds until Severus kneaded his fingers into his lower back, eliciting a deep moan from his mate. Harry’s back was almost constantly aching with the added pressure of the growing baby and could usually be reduced to a quivering, needy mess in a matter of minutes by the simple expedient of massaging the pain away. Harry’s head fell back, his breath coming in short puffs as he wrestled the bottom of the white shirt out of Severus’s black trousers.

“Want you. Right now,” he panted, turning lust glazed eyes to Severus.

“Anything you want, love,” Severus whispered in Harry’s ear, sending shivers through him.

He gathered his mate up into his arms and carried him carefully up the stairs. And for the next few hours, he proceeded to match his actions to his words.


	19. Chapter 19

“How long?”

Severus bit back a sigh at the sound of his mate’s pissy tone. Harry’s mood had been all over the place recently and Severus knew he was not making things any better by not being able to hide his own reactions to Harry’s sniping. He knew that this was just the pregnancy hormones, but there really was not much he could do to prevent becoming pissed off himself after Harry had spent almost the entire day bitching at him over what Severus saw to be nothing in particular. Harry was about halfway through his pregnancy and, just as Poppy had been warning him might happen, after he had hit his fifth month it had been like he had suddenly ballooned. He had gone from looking like he had slightly let himself go to ‘oh my God is that a pregnant man’, seemingly overnight. Logically, Severus knew that it could not have happened overnight, but one day Harry had just had a bloated belly and the next he was waddling around complaining about swollen ankles. This, of course, put him in an incredibly bad mood a lot of the time. Recently the only things Severus had found that could cheer his grumpy mate up were sex, ice-cream and visits from Teddy. Not necessarily in that order.

“You have about an hour before we have to be at the school.”

He sank down onto the edge of their bed, buttoning up his black robes and desperately hoping that Harry was not going to start picking at him. His Veela was not reacting the way he had thought it would to this sudden change in Harry’s behaviour. He had thought it would start blaming him, rather than Harry, and force him to try to make right something that was totally out of his control. Instead, it had been urging him to strike back at Harry every time he picked an argument. As he knew that this would not lead to anything being resolved – that it would in fact most likely end with the both of them miserable – Severus was steadfastly refusing to listen to his Veela. He was so focussed on ignoring the insistent prompting of his Veela to do something, _anything_ , that the sound of Harry’s quiet voice behind him startled him.

“Sev?” Harry both felt and sounded quite nervous, causing Severus to turn on the bed to raise a quizzical eyebrow at him. “I, er, I want to apologise.”

Shock rippled through Severus as he watched Harry make his way towards him slowly. They had gone to Diagon Alley during one of their visits to Andromeda and Teddy that had become a regular appointment every Sunday. Andromeda had insisted they allow her to take them to a maternity store after Harry had mentioned that his Cousin Dudley’s clothes were not fitting him anymore. The shirts and trousers Andromeda had picked out for him were charmed to not lose shape as they were enlarged, as the woman in the store had pointed out. The dark blue shirt Harry was currently wearing made his eyes shine brightly, distracting Severus sufficiently long enough for him not to respond before Harry sat down on the bed beside him.

He managed to respond after giving himself a mental shake. “Apologise?”

Harry smiled sadly as he slid back a bit, getting comfortable on the soft quilt. “Don’t pretend like I haven’t been a complete prick these past few weeks. It’s just,” he sighed, throwing himself back onto the bed. “I love Teddy, and I _really_ love that you’re so willing to accept him, but... He reminds me so much of his parents that it hurts to look at him sometimes.”

“Harry,” Severus whispered as he lay back alongside his mate. “Why did you not say something to me?”

“Because, well... It’s not just that. We wrote to that address in Newcastle for the Elves that was in that article, but they haven’t responded. I’m worried about the baby, which I know is completely irrational. And...” He flung an arm over his face, muffling the last words.

“Harry,” Severus began, gently attempting to tug Harry’s arm from across his face, which Harry resisted strongly. It felt as though he had been hit with a physical blast when Harry allowed him to drag his arm from his face, unleashing a torrent of painful shame and self-disgust.

“I’m repulsive, Sev. I’ve put on all this weight and you’re not going to want me anymore soon and I just can’t...” With a quiet sob he rolled over to face the end of the bed, curled in on himself.

Severus reacted instinctively, wrapping his arms around Harry, holding him close as he shook. He had known that Harry had been worried about something for a while now, as well as frustrated with the lack of response they had received from the Newcastle clan of the Wood Elves, but had had no idea that Harry had assumed he would no longer want him as the pregnancy progressed. Mentally cursing himself for his blindness, Severus tried unsuccessfully to get Harry to look at him. After a few minutes of being ignored, Severus allowed his increasingly desperate Veela to surface, knowing Harry would sense its presence. He felt the magical tingles of the beginnings of his transformation; his eyes shifting to the sparkling silver and his hair lengthening. The wings were not trying to force themselves out, which he took as a good sign; that maybe things were not as dire as he had feared if his Veela did not think his mate needed to see the full display.

“Harry, please look at me.” His voice was gruff from the worry he had been holding back and he could feel the shivers it sent through Harry, giving him hope that he would be able to break his mate out of this pit of misery he had fallen into. “Do you know why I love you so very much?”

He had absolutely no idea where that had come from, but apparently it had been the right thing to say. Harry froze, the only sound in the room the occasional sniffle as the tears dried on his face. Severus allowed him the time it took for him to be comfortable enough to respond, knowing that he would only retreat back into himself if pushed. Relief threaded through him as he felt Harry’s fingers brushing against his own. He spread the fingers of the hand resting on Harry’s chest to allow them to lace together.

“Because you managed to knock me up the first night we were together and now you’re stuck with me?” There was a slight undertone of humour beneath the sadness in Harry’s voice.

“It is because you balance me out perfectly.” Once again he had no idea where he was getting this from, but he realised he was speaking nothing but the absolute truth. “Before you, I was an incredibly bitter, spiteful, reclusive man who had absolutely no hope for a future; at least, not one that any sane person would look forward to. All that was facing me after the end of the War was a lengthy stint in Azkaban. Then you pounced on me in the Shrieking Shack and proceeded to turn my nicely ordered life completely upside down. You have smoothed out all of my hard edges and breathed life and light into every single aspect of my dreary existence. You prevent me from falling back into my old habits of insecurity and isolation from all of life’s experiences; where I have become almost apathetic, you are passionate; where I am cynical, you are optimistic. There is absolutely no way I could ever not want or need you in my life, because you make me a better man.”

Harry rolled onto his back as Severus finished and drew him into a soft kiss. Severus smiled as Harry opened for him, sucking his tongue into his warm mouth. He allowed himself to enjoy the intense feeling of relief washing through him for a few minutes, but broke the kiss when an idea struck him.

“Harry –”

“I love you, Sev. I know that I’m being stupid and really annoying, especially over this worry about the baby and what’s happening with Teddy, but –”

“Harry, Harry, slow down,” Severus interrupted, unwilling to let Harry make him forget what he was fairly certain was a brilliant idea. “If what has been upsetting you recently is seeing both Lupin and Tonks in Teddy, then maybe there is something we can do to help ease the sorrow their memory causes. I was wondering if maybe honouring her would help you to deal with some of this guilt? Teddy’s middle name is Remus, so perhaps naming Lily after Tonks would help to make the memory less painful.”

Harry lay silently for a long moment, twisting the long strands of Severus’s hair around his fingers. His Veela had not seen fit to retreat just yet, which Severus attributed to it needing to some kind of reassurance from his mate. There were still tear tracks running down Harry’s face, but he was definitely looking much more contented than he had been just a few minutes before. He smiled as he raised his eyes to meet Severus’s.

“Did you have something in particular in mind? Because Lily Nymphadora is a little bit of a mouthful, even for my tastes.”

Severus laughed, knowing now that he was probably going to have to give in to Harry’s demands to name Albus after him. “Well then, how about we shorten it? Lily Adora, or even Lily Dora.”

“Lily Adora,” Harry mused, his fingers still threading through the hair hanging down above him. “I really like that. Where’s it from?”

Severus could feel his Veela beginning to retreat now that it knew that Harry was fine. “It is Greek, and means ‘adored child’.”

“Then it’s perfect,” Harry mumbled as he pushed Severus onto his back and sat up, grinning down at him. “Lily Adora and Albus Severus.”

Sitting up so he could meet Harry on even ground, Severus placed a hand on Harry’s belly. “You are lucky I am in such an agreeable mood.”

“Is that a yes?” Harry grinned wide, delirious joy rushing down the bond fast enough to nearly make Severus lightheaded.

“Yes,” he grinned back. “But only because I know it will be a girl.”

The baby chose that exact moment to kick the hand Severus had resting gently on Harry’s belly. Harry laughed at the surprised look Severus gave his stomach.

“I think little Albus objects to being called a girl, Sev.”

Severus watched as Harry slid off the bed and continued getting ready for the day, now quietly hoping that he had not just doomed his son to a life with such a ridiculous name.

*~*

“Can you tell me, Mr. Creevey, why it is that you have chosen to disrupt my class with your complete incompetence? What exactly is it about the instructions written clearly on the board that you cannot seem to grasp?” Severus strode down the length of his dungeon classroom to stand in front of the desk Dennis Creevey sat behind, eyes wide with fear.

“I – uh – I don’t really...”

“Oh, stop your stuttering.” Severus waved his hand over the spilt potion spreading slowly towards him on the top of the desk, Vanishing it with a thought. “Idiot child.”

He turned to stalk back to the front of the class, ignoring the glares of the other Gryffindors seated around the small Creevey boy. Harry’s foul temper must have been catching, as Severus’s good mood had been gradually disintegrating during the day, causing Harry to lower the strength of their empathic connection. He had only attempted this once before, the day after his bond had sealed, and had discovered that neither of them enjoyed the feeling of not knowing completely what the other was feeling. Severus had figured this was due to the fact that the empathic link between a bonded couple was there so they could tell if the other was in any kind of danger, and by lowering the connection so that they could not sense the other’s state of mind completely, it panicked their respective magical creatures. At least, he knew that his Veela did not like not being able to fully sense Harry, not one little bit. He did not know what it was that had set his temper off today, but he did know that this was the worst it had been in quite a while, possibly since he had had Harry in his class. His Veela gave him a shot of guilt over that thought, to which he responded by giving one of the Gryffindor girls a detention for speaking out of turn. By the end of the lesson, Gryffindor had lost 50 points and he had three very unhappy students to send to Filch at the end of the day for their detentions.

“Pack up and get out of my sight,” was the way he dismissed the class, not bothering to look up to see if any of them were obeying.

“Huh,” Severus glanced up at the sound of Draco’s voice. “Potter said you were in a foul mood. Guess I owe him a Galleon.”

“You are no longer a student, Malfoy. Do not make the mistake of thinking I will not curse you.” Severus turned back to the marking he did not want to be doing.

“Ok, ok, I just came to warn you of something, and then I’ll be going.” There was an undercurrent of worry in Draco’s voice, causing Severus to huff out a sigh and give him his attention again. “My father has been sending me owls telling me that it is ‘beneath the dignity of a Malfoy to be serving under anyone, least of all someone like _her_ ’.”

Severus merely stared at him, wondering if Draco was still fool enough to swallow everything his father told him. “Do _you_ believe this as well?”

“No, of course not,” he waved a hand through the air, as if to brush the suggestion away. “I’ve had very little to do with my father since the trials; mostly because he has been too busy ratting out his old friends to anyone who would listen at the Ministry. My mother says that that is one of the only reasons he is not in Azkaban right now, along with Harry’s testimony. I know that if it wasn’t for McGonagall’s forgiveness that I would basically be unemployable and broke right now, so I’m not willing to let him fuck this up for me. I have already warned her, so now I am warning you as well; since you and her are the ones he is most likely to go after.” He had not broken eye contact through this entire speech, despite the fact that he now looked slightly embarrassed.

“Thank-you for the warning then, Mr. Malfoy. Was there anything else?” Severus cast his eyes back down to the essay before him.

“Yeah, actually, there was.” The sound of Draco’s voice should have tipped Severus off, but he was too focussed on failing the moronic essay in front of him to pay close attention. “You might want to do something either about or _to_ Potter by the end of the day. He was looking a little antsy the last I saw him, if you catch my meaning.”

Severus aimed a tripping jinx at Draco’s retreating form without even looking up. He heard him stumble out the door, laughing as it closed behind him. He let out a huge sigh as he sat back in his chair, ruffling the papers on his desk. He was hungry, and he knew there was always the possibility that being with Harry would alleviate his bad mood. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the weak emotions flowing down the bond. He could tell Harry was in a good mood, but that was all: with the strength of the connection lowered, there was no way he could sense any underlying feelings, just the surface ones. Unwilling to put up with not being able to sense his mate properly, Severus pushed back from the desk and made his way out of the classroom.

Unfortunately, the first thing that happened when he exited the room was that he almost ran directly into a group of chattering forth-year girls. He snarled, sending them scattering away from him. He knew finding amusement by terrifying students was probably not the best thing for him to be doing, had always known it, but was unable to break the 17 year habit. He stalked through the dungeons, taking points from the students who looked too happy for his current mood. Just before he hit the Entrance Hall, a hand reached out and dragged him down the side passage that led to the teacher’s side entrance to the Great Hall.

“Potter,” he growled warningly as his mate pulled him down the passage, out of sight of the passing students.

“Shut up and kiss me,” Harry panted, spinning around and pinning Severus up against the wall.

His Veela celebrating in his mind, Severus willingly obliged, pulling Harry to him roughly, forcing his mouth open with his tongue. Harry moaned into his mouth, moulding their bodies together as much as possible. Severus heard the crinkle of paper as Harry’s arms wound around his neck but was too focussed on the warm body in his arms to care. He let out a deep moan of his own when he felt the empathic link between them opening up slowly. There was a definite element of excitement and nerves beneath Harry’s good mood, which was proving to be the ideal cure for Severus’s shitty mood. He continued to trail his lips down Harry’s throat when his mate broke the kiss and began trying to get his attention.

“Sev... _Gods_... no, we’re in public. They... they wrote back, Sev.”

That got his full attention. Pulling back just enough to be able to see Harry’s face, Severus stared down at him in confusion.

“‘They’ as in...?” He did not dare allow himself to hope they could be lucky enough to actually have managed to make contact with the Wood Elves, but there was no other ‘they’ he could think of who would get Harry this excited.

“The Elves, of course; look at this.” Harry waved the piece of paper Severus had heard crinkling in his ear earlier.

Severus took the paper and sank down onto the cold stone of the passage. He pulled Harry down into his lap, needing to feel his mate there with him. Harry seemed to sense this and tucked himself happily under Severus’s arm, his head resting on his shoulder.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I must confess myself surprised upon receipt of your letter. We have, of course, been following everything that has happened between you and He Who Must Not Be Named through the newspapers, but it was through no family obligation that we were aware of. When I first read your letter, I set some of our best genealogists to researching all of our outcast members, as well as those who have left willingly. We have not, as of yet, been able to find any connection that one of our lines may have with your family, but rest assured that we shall continue until we have found something._

_On a more personal note, I am lead to believe that you have recently found your mate and successfully managed to seal your bond without any resource other than your own instincts. May I offer my sincerest congratulations, especially considering the fact that there was probably a dearth of information regarding exactly how to seal said bond. If the_ Daily Prophet _is to be believed, then this bond of yours is of a peculiar kind. It is not the regular custom of our people, but I would be more than willing to make the journey to Scotland to meet with you both and discuss this further. Our Healers would be fascinated to find out just how our magical lineage mixes with that of another and to see if there shall be anything to look out for in the children of such a bonding._

_I hope to hear back from you soon regarding any further contact between us._

_Kindest regards,_

_Catherine Ashtoncroft, Head of the Newcastle upon Tyne clan._

“Harry,” Severus breathed, looking down into the brightly shining green eyes watching him carefully.

“What do you think? It’s worth a shot, right? I mean, she writes the same way you talk a lot of the time, almost boringly formal, but that usually means they’re really smart. So they might actually be able to find out something we can’t.”

Severus did not know whether to react to the insult or the compliment, so he settled for brushing his lips against Harry’s. He wrapped his arms around his mate properly, one resting on the swell of his belly, the other softly massaging the almost constant ache from the small of his back.

“Of course it is worth it. This is your family, after all,” he murmured against Harry’s lips before deepening the kiss.

Harry adjusted himself in Severus’s lap, moving so that they were both comfortable. Severus had to bite back a groan at the feeling of having Harry wriggling around in his lap, trying to force himself not to react to the stimulation, due to their very public location. He was glad his mind was otherwise occupied when he heard the door to the Great Hall open and footsteps approach.

“Oh my! _Why_ am I always the one to walk in on you two? Better still, why are you always in public?”

Instead of responding to Minerva’s exasperated questions verbally, Severus merely held up the letter for her to read. He felt Harry grin against his lips as laughter bubbled up out of him. Harry broke the kiss, resting his forehead against Severus’s for a few seconds, smiling broadly.

“ _You_ are my family, before anyone else,” he whispered, before standing up.

Severus sat and stared up at his mate, digesting what he had just said. The shock wore off in a few seconds to be replaced with pure joy. His Veela was not trying to force its way out, but he was having a bit of trouble preventing himself from grabbing Harry and holing up in their suite of rooms down in the dungeon for the rest of the day. He stood cautiously as Minerva finished reading the letter and turned to face Harry with a barrage of questions neither of them had had time to think of answers to. He circled an arm around Harry’s waist, holding him close as Minerva turned to him with a broad smile and just as many questions. They answered them as well as they could, but eventually had to tell her that they had about as much information as she did on this matter. She made them promise to tell her the second they got more information, even if it was in the middle of the night and they had to floo her. She allowed them to escape as soon as she extracted the promise from Harry, rather than Severus, stating that she knew Harry would keep the promise, even if it meant he missed out on a little bit of sleep. Severus rolled his eyes at this, but said nothing, preferring to follow his Veela instincts and drag Harry back to their rooms for the rest of lunch. The only acknowledgement he gave Minerva’s amused reminder that they both had classes to teach that afternoon was a vague wave of his hand as they left the corridor. His Veela was demanding satisfaction and there was no one in the world that was going to be able to stop him from taking it.


	20. Chapter 20

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Thank-you so much for your speedy reply. It would be an honour to make the journey to Scotland to meet you both. I can assure you, it will be absolutely no trouble whatsoever: I have people who can take care of my duties as Head while I am away._

_I may have some more information to show you when I arrive, as our researchers have been following a fascinating lead. It has come from a direction I would never have thought to look in, but I suppose any information would be better than nothing. It may turn out that you have not come from this clan, as first thought. I would rather not give you too much information via letter, as it may turn out that we have been following up on a dead-end. I do not wish to get your hopes up too high, just in case._

_Our Healers are also incredibly fascinated by the prospect of meeting someone with the combination of bloodlines you have, as will your children. They have requested that I ask if it would be alright with you if they made the journey to Scotland to meet you before the birth of your child. They would like to know if your body is reacting differently to the pregnancy than a full- or even half-blooded Elf would. Of course, I understand the stresses of pregnancy myself, so I can tell them to give up on the idea if you feel you have been poked and prodded by complete strangers enough._

_As to your other question, I am very sorry, but I cannot simply waive the traditions of our people for one couple. If you wish your bond to be officially recognised by the clan, then your mate shall have to come to the Head of the clan your family once belonged to in order to make it official. Again, I am incredibly sorry, and I completely understand your desire to not be away from your mate, but it is impossible for me to waive our traditions._

_Looking forward to hearing from you again soon regarding a date,_

_Catherine Ashtoncroft._

“Harry, did you truly ask her if she could waive –”

The rest of the sentence was cut off by a deep moan as Harry began sucking Severus’s flaccid prick into life. He fumbled the letter over onto the nightstand, staring down into the beautiful green eyes of his mate. As much as he did not want Harry to stop, Severus knew they had to discuss this new development. He reached down to tangle his fingers through Harry’s hair, pulling him up into an embrace.

“Harry, wait, we need... need to talk ab-about,” he began, stuttering as Harry’s fingers wrapped tightly around him.

“Shh, Sev; I know exactly what I need right now, and it’s not to talk.” Harry raised himself up onto his elbows and swung a leg over Severus’s hips so he was hovering over him on all fours. “How long do we have?”

Severus forced himself to drag his gaze away from Harry hovering above him to the clock on the wall. “Just over two hours.”

“Good,” Harry grinned wickedly as he lowered his lips to nibble under Severus’s ear. “Might have time for seconds.”

Severus chuckled as he gripped Harry’s hips, kneading his fingers into the soft flesh of his arse. It had been three days since they had received the first letter from the Head of the Newcastle clan of Wood Elves, and Harry had been in a buoyant mood ever since. In fact, his constant cheeriness had fanned away some of the rotten moods Severus had been in danger of falling into over the past few days. If he had been a superstitious man, he would have said that he was feeling bad portents. Thankfully, he was not superstitious; in fact he had trouble believing in the efficacy of Divination, let alone muggle traditions.

He brushed these thoughts aside as Harry captured his lips, drawing a moan from him as he lapped at the roof of his mouth. Closing his eyes, he focussed on the sensations Harry was sending through him: warmth pooling in his stomach, little jolts as his nipples were pinched and finally, pure desire as Harry lowered himself and ground their hips together. He felt fingers roaming all over his body, hitting nearly all of his hotspots as Harry slowly drove him insane. He let out a gasp as he felt Harry’s questing finger press into him. Harry had not wanted to top since the sealing of his bond; Severus had assumed his Wood Elf had objected and suppressed the urge. He spread his legs, locking his ankles around Harry’s waist, giving him better access. Harry moaned into his mouth as he added a second finger, scissoring them as they thrust in and out swiftly.

“Gods, you feel so _good_ ,” Harry groaned as Severus let his head fall back, panting shallowly.

Severus discovered he was beyond rational thought right at that moment, and his only response was a deep growl. Harry laughed and lowered his head to suck on the pulse rapidly beating in Severus’s throat. Severus was unwilling to try to control the bucking of his hips as a third finger slid easily inside of him. Fingers dug harshly into his hip as Harry attempted to prevent him from jerking his hips upwards, but he apparently had yet to realise that this particular action always caused Severus to moan and thrust upwards harder. Severus let out a desperate groan as the fingers left him. His eyes flew open and he looked accusingly at Harry, who grinned wickedly at him as he attempted to roll him over. Severus, however, simply lay there as an unwillingly coherent thought struck him. He glanced uncertainly at the now quite prominent swell of Harry’s belly, confusion rippling through him.

“Harry...?”

“Oh, I know, I know, shut-up,” Harry muttered good-naturedly. “I needed to... you know... before it wasn’t possible anymore. I’ll work it out, don’t worry. Now turn over.”

Severus cocked an eyebrow at Harry’s awkward phrasing, but unlocked his legs from around his waist and rolled over onto his stomach without a word. He followed Harry’s prompting hand, moving onto his knees, his head resting on his folded arms on his pillow. He let out another needy groan as he felt Harry’s fingers inside him once again. They hooked and rubbed against his prostate, causing him to push back eagerly. Harry chuckled before removing them and positioning himself at Severus’s entrance.

His breath whooshed out as he felt Harry gently pushing forward. He had to force himself to not push back into the intrusion, in case he hurt either Harry or the baby. He could feel Harry’s fingernails digging into his hips and knew he must be close to drawing blood with the pressure he was exerting to keep Severus still. Harry grunted when he was about halfway in, gripping Severus’s hips harder as he pushed forward steadily. Severus could feel the softness of Harry’s belly resting against the small of his back as he finally managed to get himself fully sheathed. The strain of holding himself still was driving Severus wild and he squeezed himself around Harry in an attempt to get him moving.

“No, don’t... give me a m-minute,” Harry gasped out.

Severus stilled, turning his focus from the purely physical aspects of having Harry buried inside him to what Harry was actually feeling. What met him caused him to let out a bark of laughter.

“Bit excited are we, Mister Potter?” His voice was deep and almost breathy with desire, sending heated flashes of need through Harry.

“Is – is this... what you feel... _every_ time?” Harry panted.

Severus forced his warmly mushy-feeling brain to focus on the question. He frowned, concentrating hard, before remembering this was the first time Harry had experienced sex from the other side with the bond fully open on his end. He was getting not only his own desire, but Severus’s flooding back to him as well. He grinned, despite knowing Harry could not see him.

“Yes, Harry. Every. Single. Time.”

“Mmm,” Harry responded before pulling out experimentally and sliding back in quickly. “Oh Gods... How?”

“Self control,” Severus gasped, his body objecting loudly to having the sudden stimulation taken away so soon.

“Wings,” Harry demanded, sliding a hand along Severus’s spine.

Severus closed his eyes and concentrated, more than amenable to anything that would encourage the fire in his belly. His wings spread out behind him, to be immediately grasped by Harry’s eager hands. As always, having Harry’s fingers threading through his feathers sent pleasure lancing through his stomach, causing his back to arch, grinding himself into Harry.

“ _Move_ ,” Severus ground out when it got to be too much for him.

Severus almost whimpered when one of the hands left his wing to come to rest on his hip. He swallowed the sound as he felt Harry drawing back out of him to thrust back in completely. It was almost as if Harry had managed to hit his prostate accidentally, if the erratic pattern of his thrusts were anything to go by. He did not manage to hit it again, but Severus was way too far gone to care at this point. The pressure built up in him swiftly after that, especially when Harry gripped his aching cock and began to stroke in time to his thrusts.

“Yes, Sev, yes,” Harry moaned as Severus began to spasm around him. “I – I –”

Severus let out a shout as he felt Harry following him through to orgasm. He held onto consciousness long enough to feel Harry pull out and spell them clean. He then collapsed onto his side, holding an arm up for Harry to climb under. Once Harry was securely held in his arms, panting and trembling occasionally with aftershocks, Severus finally allowed himself to surrender to the mindlessness of his afterglow.

*~*

Severus smiled to himself as he watched Harry. He knew his mate was still slightly insecure about the weight he had put on during the pregnancy and therefore did not like it when Severus blatantly stared at him like he currently was, but he had discovered he simply could not help it. Harry was the single most desirable man he had ever met and some days it was all he could do to keep his hands to himself in public.

“Sev?” Harry paused at the end of their garden path, confusion rolling off him in waves.

Severus reached out to grab Harry before he could react. He wrapped one arm around his back, pulling him close enough to feel the heat of his body through the cloaks they both wore against the chill October weather. The fingers of his other hand brushed over Harry’s lips, now pink from the cold. He moved them beneath his chin, adding a little pressure so that Harry was forced to look up at him.

“I love you,” he murmured as he gently swept his lips over Harry’s.

He smiled as warmth flooded through to him down the bond. He was no longer uncomfortable about displaying his emotions in front of Harry, but still felt the need to hold back whenever others were around. Harry always took full advantage of the rare occasion when Severus let his defences down in public, as he was doing now. One of his hands curled through the hair surrounding Severus’s face while the other slid beneath the cloak to come to rest on his hip. He drew back with a gasp as Severus winced.

“Sorry,” he whispered, but ruined it with a smirk. “It’ll make sure you don’t forget me during the day.”

Severus chuckled as he started off down the road to the main street of Hogsmeade. He was thankful for once that Harry’s duck-footed-waddle of a walk forced him to shorten his strides, as he had not been able to fully heal the bruises Harry had left on his hips just two hours before. He curled his fingers in with Harry’s when he felt them brushing against his own and could not help glancing down at his mate again, a slight smile on his face.

“Ok, you’re making me really paranoid,” Harry muttered, casting a quick glance up at him before blushing and looking away again.

Severus grinned, aware of the fact that Harry really did appreciate knowing how much Severus desired him from what was flowing down the bond. “We shall have to stop in on Minerva first thing. She did make you promise, after all.”

“Oh, shit,” Harry growled. “I promised to tell her the second we got news! But then I...”

“You did,” Severus grinned, unable to resist the amusement running through him.

“And you didn’t stop me!”

“You would rather I turn you down?”

“No,” Harry stomped moodily on a clump of weeds growing up through the pavement. “What if she asks?”

“We could always tell her the truth,” Severus smirked. “It is, after all, unlikely that she has missed the fact that you are pregnant, especially considering she was one of the first to know, so she must have figured we have at least once –” His sentence was cut off with a whoosh of breath as Harry jabbed a finger into his ribs.

“You actually enjoy torturing me, don’t you?”

“It has been one of the highlights of my day for the past seven years; why should that change now?” Severus raised an eyebrow at the smile that was spreading across Harry’s face. It was unusual for him to react with a smile to Severus’s teasing.

“I’m the highlight of your day,” Harry murmured happily.

Severus sighed, fighting the slight blush spreading across his cheeks. “Of course you are, you dolt.”

“Git.”

“Prat.”

“You love me.”

“Merlin only knows why.” He drew Harry into a tight embrace and kissed him soundly, firstly making sure they were out of sight of the school grounds. “Come, we have a headmistress to report to.”

A lot of the students had gotten used to seeing the two of them around the grounds of the school; Harry laughing and joking and Severus not looking quite as irritable as he usually did. The volume of the whispers that had followed the two of them around at the start of the term had lowered significantly, but they still drew some attention as they entered the grounds. It annoyed Harry no end, but Severus had very calmly told him that there really was nothing they could to do stop the students from talking about them. His life was always going to be news, and the idea of him bonding with an ex-Death Eater – especially Severus – was bound to cause whispers. Despite knowing this, Severus was always thankful whenever they got out of sight of the students, just as he was this time when they entered Minerva’s office.

“Severus, Harry, so good to see you both,” Minerva greeted them. “I was not expecting to see either of you this morning.”

She indicated that they should sit in two of the comfy-looking chairs sitting in front of the fire. Severus caught the slight smirk that crossed Harry’s face as he sat down and had to prevent himself from flinching at the sharp jab of pain. He scowled at his mate, shifting until he was comfortable.

“Well, you did tell us to come to you straight away when we got more information from the Elves, did you not, Minerva?” He smirked at the slight flash of guilt and shame he got from Harry before facing Minerva with a bland expression as she took the remaining chair.

“You have received another letter?”

“Er, yes; early this morning,” Harry stuttered. “I have it here if you want to read it.”

“Thank-you Harry, I would appreciate it. Please help yourselves to tea and biscuits if you wish.”

Severus raised an eyebrow to Harry, silently asking if he would like tea. He stood at Harry’s nod and moved to make two cups, coming back with a handful of biscuits as well. Harry grinned his thanks as he began dipping one of the biscuits into the sweet, milky tea he preferred. Severus thought nothing of this silent exchange until he glanced up to see Minerva smiling at him with those damn sparkling eyes again. He rolled his eyes with a slight shake of his head before starting his own strong, black tea. He had relaxed enough over the past few months to not care that Minerva saw him caring for Harry: she had seen enough of it inadvertently that he would look ridiculous trying to hide it from her now.

“Well, what do you think?” Severus figured he would voice the question, if only to distract her.

“That they can stay here.”

“What?”

“Excuse me?”

Minerva smiled condescendingly at the two of them, looking way too smug for Severus’s liking. “I would assume that they will want a place to stay while they are here. And as she mentions Healers, what better way of giving them access to your medical history, and current condition, than by having them stay in the same building as your current Medi-Witch? Hogwarts offers accommodation to family and friends of the students who attend, so I see no difference if the person requiring accommodation is related to one of the Professors instead. I would also like to think that the rooms offered here are of a much higher quality than those at the Hog’s Head. All you shall have to do is to inform me of the day of their arrival and how many rooms are required and they will be ready.”

Severus sat and stared at her for a few seconds. It may have just been his old spy instincts kicking in, but he had the feeling that this was coming together too easily. He shook his head as he heard Harry thanking her profusely.

“I mean, it hadn’t even occurred to me that they probably wouldn’t all fit in our place,” he was saying as Severus tuned back into the conversation. “I was thinking it would have to be sometime before Christmas, so most likely in the middle of next month. Is that alright?”

_Why yes, Harry, that is fine by me. Thank-you so much for asking_ , Severus thought as he met Minerva’s eyes. He raised his hands slightly in a gesture of surrender. He had little to no control over Harry and his actions, so there was no way he would have been able to prevent him from simply going ahead with his plans even if he had strongly objected.

“It shall be fine, Mr. Potter. Just let me know when you have more details. Now, however, gentlemen, if there is nothing further, you both have classes to prepare for and I have paperwork to fill out.” She stood, smiling, and walked with them until they had left her office.

“That went really well, didn’t it?” Harry glanced happily up at Severus, smiling slightly. “I mean, I knew she wanted to help, but having them stay here was something that I never thought she would offer.”

Severus stayed quiet for a few seconds, running the conversation through his mind. He still believed that his misgivings were due to his naturally suspicious nature and his time spent as a spy, so he was not going to worry Harry unnecessarily.

“Well, you were always one of her favourite students. Apparently that carries over to when you are working together.”

“Just like you and Draco.”

“Excuse me?” Severus stopped in the middle of the corridor, staring down at Harry in confusion.

“Oh, come on, Sev. We all knew you marked Draco up in your class because you liked him the best.”

Severus had not a leg to stand on and he knew it, so he remained silent. Harry was, of course, correct: Draco had been one of his favourite students, although he had never really taken the time to discover why. He assumed it, as well as his desire to prevent Draco from taking the Dark Mark, had something to do with his longstanding friendship with Narcissa. It certainly had not come from any feeling of obligation or friendship towards Lucius. He allowed Harry to pull him into motion again, moving him on towards the Defence classroom, thankful that they were early enough that there were very little students around. When they reached it, Harry turned to face him, grinning.

“Look, forget him,” Harry waved a hand as though brushing the mere thought of Draco away from him. “I’ll write back to her the second I get some free time today. I was thinking of maybe suggesting the 16th, because we have no idea how long she’ll want to stay. That way she can stay for a week or two, without us having to kick her out for Christmas.”

“I assume you have Christmas all planned out, as well?” Severus could not resist the smirk that crossed his lips.

“Well, Molly is kind of expecting us on Christmas day. She already asked and I might have told her it’s ok...” Harry’s voice trailed off into uncertainty.

_Christmas with the entire Weasley clan?_ Severus was unsure he would be able to survive an entire day with them, but one look into Harry’s worried face reassured him. He knew Harry would not allow him to be ostracised by the people he had made his family, even if he had to force both sides to get along. He smiled, running a finger down the side of Harry’s face.

“Anything you want, love.”

Harry grinned wide before drawing Severus to him and kissing him softly.

“Urg! Not in public, please!”

Severus smiled at the disgust in Draco’s voice. “Good morning, Professor Malfoy. If seeing a healthy relationship is truly that disgusting to you, may I suggest finding someone of your own, as you are clearly in need of some form of release brought about by something other than your own hand?”

He smirked at the look of shock that crossed Draco’s face. Harry’s forehead hit his chest, his shoulders shaking in an effort to not laugh aloud at the man he would be stuck with all day in a classroom. Severus watched mildly as the shock drained off Draco’s face slowly, to be replaced with a slight smile. He shook his head, muttering to himself before opening the door to the classroom and moving inside. Severus ran a hand through Harry’s messy hair, causing his mate to look up at him, eyes bright with humour.

“That was...” Harry trailed off, still smiling dopily.

“Mean?”

“Truthful.” Harry dragged his fingers down the Dark Mark before grinning and following Draco into the classroom.

Severus could not suppress the shiver of delight that ran through him as he slowly moved off towards the dungeons. His mind was running in a million different directions at once as he walked: he worried about having to spend Christmas with the Weasley’s; wondered about the coming visit from the Elves; he was incredibly worried that if Harry wished their bond to be recognised by the Elves that he would have to leave him before the birth of their child to meet with the Head of whichever clan it turned out that Harry belonged to; and beneath all that ran an undercurrent of surprise that he was so incredibly comfortable expressing himself to Harry. He had always known that Veela were very emotionally driven creatures, but it had not occurred to him that it would influence him that way. _Yes, I have let it change me_ , he answered the question he had posed four months ago. He examined the idea, remembering his reactions to little things Harry had done over the past five months, comparing them to his life before they had bonded. He found himself unable to suppress a ridiculously dizzy grin at the memories as his hip gave a twinge. _For the better._


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas! (Or whatever you celebrate, or not!) Just letting everyone know that the next chapter might be a little late, because of the holidays. Hope everyone has a safe holiday! :D

“Oh dear God that’s good,” Harry moaned obscenely, causing Draco to lean out around him to glare at Severus.

Holding his knife and fork up so Draco could clearly see them, Severus smirked. “You cannot blame me, Mr. Malfoy. My hands are both above the table: he is speaking of the ice-cream.”

Draco gave Harry a disgusted look, but sat back quietly. They were seated at the head table in the Great Hall, surrounded by chattering students. Severus was wary of letting his guard down in front of so many people, but still could not resist watching Harry enjoy his ice-cream. His natural sweet tooth had combined with his pregnancy cravings and they had gotten the better of him in recent weeks. He had been craving chocolate ice-cream for dessert nearly every night at dinner.

They had decided to spend the next week living in their dungeon rooms at Hogwarts, since Catherine Ashtoncroft had accepted their offer and was arriving at the castle the next afternoon with a contingent of Wood Elf Healers and genealogists. It was a few days later than Harry had originally planned: the 20th rather than the 16th. This meant that they would only have about a week with their visitors, but Severus believed that it was for the best, as he did not want Harry exhausting himself too much before Christmas. They had planned for Harry to give up teaching at the start of December, when he had reached his seventh month of pregnancy. Once it had been confirmed that the Elves were coming in the middle of November, he had simply decided that it would be easier for him to start his paternity leave the day they arrived. Between the flickers of contentment from finally satisfying his ice-cream craving, Severus had been getting flashes of worry from Harry all day, which he attributed to the pending arrival of the small group. They had been writing back and forth over the past month and Harry appeared to get along with the woman quite well, despite the fact that she was nearly 30 years his elder. She had apparently taken over the clan from her father Thomas when he retired 20 years ago and was currently grooming her own daughter to take over from her when she decided she was too old to stay on as Head. He knew that Harry wished their own children to be a part of a clan, as he had been denied that kind of relationship when he had been growing up. This meant that Severus would have to make the journey to whichever clan it was that Harry was a part of to get the official recognition from the Head of the clan. He was not looking forward to having to be apart from Harry, no matter how long it took, but he knew he would go without many complaints, to keep his mate happy. He was jerked out of his thoughts when he heard Harry’s voice sound next to him.

“Have you heard anything else from your father, Draco? He didn’t seem too happy that you were working here for a while there.”

“Not recently,” Draco smirked as his eyes met with Severus’s. “Mother has taken a stand.”

“Narcissa?” Severus could not help the tone of surprise.

“Yes, when I wrote to her after first receiving those letters from Father in September, she told me not to worry and that she would handle everything. Did you know that much of the family money was hers, not Father’s?” This last was addressed to Harry, whose eyes widened in slight shock. “No, I didn’t think many people did. When she realised what he was threatening to do, she tightened her hold of him so that he cannot do anything without her knowing of it. She has set a house-elf to follow him around constantly, keeping just out of sight so he doesn’t realise; she’s put restrictions on the amount of money he is allowed to withdraw from their bank account; and she has put a charm around the house so that she can intercept every piece of mail he sends to Hogwarts. The small amount of letters I have received from him in the past few months have been heavily edited and she has signed them at the bottom. Basically, she has placed him under house arrest without him really knowing it.”

Severus let his hair fall in front of his face, his hand coming up to cover his smile from the rest of the school. Harry, on the other hand, had no such qualms about allowing the students to see his mirth. Severus managed to grab the ice-cream bowl out of his hands as he began to laugh. Warmth flooded through him as he watched his mate laughing, happy and contented and, very strangely, actually getting along with Draco Malfoy. They still had their days when they wanted to hex each other, but those were gradually happening further and further apart. He was glad that they were getting along, because he had actually started feeling sorry for Draco for a while there: he was pretty much friendless and with an upbringing like he had, it was not going to be easy undoing 18 years worth of snobbery. It was a feeling he was unused to and did not like in the least. Harry finally got a hold of himself, taking massive gulps of air, but still grinning like an idiot. He reached over and took the bowl of ice-cream out of Severus’s hand, his bright smile warming Severus to the tips of his toes.

“You know, Draco, I got the feeling that there was much more to your mother than there appeared to be,” he said, before focussing completely on his ice-cream once again.

Severus exchanged amused looks with Draco above Harry’s head, still attempting to hold the threatening grin back. He and Harry stayed in the Great Hall until most of the students had left, as it made it easier for them to not run into anyone on their way down to the dungeons. Harry had reached his 28th week of pregnancy and Severus was unwilling to risk having him injured by an ignorant student running through the halls of Hogwarts. His protective instincts had kicked in hard over the past few weeks as it came closer to the time Harry would take his paternity leave. Now that that time had finally come, he had not expected to have Harry wandering the halls here; he had thought the worst he would have to deal with were the stairs in their house in Hogsmeade. Harry reached over and squeezed his fingers as the last of the stragglers started to stand.

“Ready to go?” Harry pushed his chair back and stood, smiling down at him.

Severus offered him a small smile as he stood and followed him out of the Great Hall. They passed only a few students on their way down to the dungeons, some of whom gave them timid smiles, which Harry returned cheerfully. He was much happier now that most of the whispers that had followed them around for the past three months had stopped. He paused and pulled Severus into an embrace when they reached their rooms, resting his head against Severus’s chest.

“Harry, if you are that tired, perhaps you should just go to bed,” Severus suggested, despite the fact that it was only 8:30.

“No, I’m not that tired,” Harry raised his head to smile up at Severus, who saw straight through him.

Moving over onto the lounge in front of the fire, Severus held up his arm so Harry could settle down beside him as he took up a book. Harry snuggled up, head on Severus’s shoulder, one arm draped casually across his abdomen to rest on his hip. Severus smiled to himself, knowing Harry was worried about tomorrow and needing the comfort of having his mate close. He knew he should have been used to it by now, but a warm feeling flooded through him when he realised that Harry’s clinginess was due to his need of him; his need to have him close. He shook his head at his own maudlin tendencies when it came to his mate, but still put his book aside to wrap his arms around him, gently massaging the ache out of Harry’s back. He cast a feather-light charm so he could carry him to their bed once he had fallen into a deep enough sleep. _Thank Merlin no one was around to see that, you soppy bastard_ , he scolded himself as he slid into the bed behind Harry.

*~*

Severus monitored Harry’s emotions carefully the next day after lunch. He had tried to soothe Harry’s nerves that morning, but they had only gotten worse during the day. By the time Severus was starting his last class of the day, Harry was a jumble of nerves; strong enough so that they drowned out anything else he was feeling. Minerva and Poppy had both agreed to join him in waiting for the delegation of Elves to arrive, which Severus was thankful for, as he was certain Harry would be in much worse condition if he had had to wait by himself. The next day was a Saturday, which meant Severus could be with Harry the entire day while he spoke with the Elves. He hoped that, just like the night before, his presence could calm Harry down a little.

His students had apparently noticed his distracted state and were testing out the limits of his barely restrained temper by passing messages and attempting to hex each other under the desks. By the time the lesson ended half the class had detention with Filch and Severus had the beginnings of an enormous headache. He went back into their rooms to quickly down a glass of headache potion before heading to Minerva’s office. It had been decided that the Head’s office would be the best place for their first meeting, as it was just the right mix of formal and casual, but Severus was cursing the decision, as it took him so long to get through the castle from the dungeons. Students blocked his path on more than one occasion, and he had to restrain himself from simply hexing them out of his way. The door at the top of the gryphon-guarded staircase was open as he reached it, happy chatter coming from inside.

“Sev!” Harry’s voice rang out above the others as soon as he stepped inside the room. He held his hand out, gesturing that Severus should join him over by the fire.

“Harry,” he greeted him as he took the other seat on the small lounge. The second he sat down he could feel Harry relaxing, which eased some of the tension from his own shoulders.

“Sev, this is Catherine,” Harry indicated the woman occupying one of the chairs beside the fire. “Catherine, this is Severus.”

Severus had to bite back a grin, knowing Harry knew he did not allow anyone else to shorten his name other than Harry himself. The woman sitting across from Harry smiled at his reaction, her bright green eyes lighting up. Severus offered her a small smile as he extended his hand.

“Ah, your elusive mate, Harry. So pleased to finally make your acquaintance, Severus; we have heard a lot about you.” She smiled wide at Harry’s blush, displaying a row of neat white teeth.

“Likewise,” he responded, eyeing Harry with amusement. “It feels as though we have been searching for you for a long time.”

“Yes, I fear we owe you both an apology for the mix-up. Not one of our genealogists were aware that the line Harry is descended from had survived, let alone thrived.” She sat back in her chair, clearly judging his reaction to her words.

“So they have been able to discover where this ancestor came from?” Severus did not allow much more than mild surprise to show on his face. He felt slight exasperation from Harry, who raised an eyebrow at him as he glanced down.

“So incredibly sorry to spoil the mysteriousness you two seem to think is necessary,” Harry began sarcastically, causing Catherine to grin. “But I would like answers sometime tonight.”

“My apologies, Harry,” she replied, still grinning at him. “I have picked up the incredibly rude habit of attempting to read people’s emotions as I speak with them. It does tend to distract from proper conversation.”

Harry glanced up at Severus as he wound his arm behind him. He settled back into Severus’s touch, accepting the silent apology with a small sigh. His hand came to rest lightly on Severus’s knee as he looked expectantly back at Catherine. Severus looked back up again as well, to see her smiling indulgently at them. He fought against the urge to blush as she began to explain everything they had discovered.

“Roughly two hundred years ago, the Wood Elf clans in Britain were going through a time of great turmoil. There were wars being fought over reasons that have been lost to time. Many people were needlessly killed and just as many simply disappeared without a trace. There was one man who was connected with our clan; your ancestor, Harry. He was the Head of the clan at the time and as such, had to make some incredibly difficult decisions. You see, our clan had come under attack from a nearby clan, one that no longer exists due to the decisions this one man made.”

Severus felt Harry stiffen at these words. He rubbed the hand resting on the small of Harry’s back in loose circles, smiling when he felt his mate relax a little.

“He wiped out an entire clan?” Harry’s voice was quiet, but Catherine could obviously hear him.

“They all did, Harry; it was not just him. We all know it takes much more than one man to start a war, but he certainly did his part. The man’s name was Alfred Potter and he was a full-blooded Wood Elf. He was a quite powerful wizard, having been the only child of a couple of bonded men, just as your own child will be. He had been voted into the position of Head of the clan as soon as the war looked like it was coming our way, apparently because the previous Head was unwilling to allow the rest of the clan to fight. He got us through the war, helped many of our clan to survive the nearly impossible odds, but was exiled almost immediately after the war ended. You see, the Elves of the time had come to realise the pointlessness of the war and were in need of someone to blame. The Head of the clan often takes the blow for the actions of the rest, so Alfred Potter took the blame for the casualties that resulted due to the war.”

Harry took advantage of her silence as she paused to take a sip of tea. “So what you’re saying is that this guy, Alfred Potter, is the one who gave me my Wood Elf genes. If he was the Head of your clan, then why did you say that I might not have come from it?”

“This is where things get complicated. Generally those who have been exiled cannot join another clan. Everyone knows when another has been exiled, as the Heads of the clans tend to be close, even during times of war. The new Head – my ancestor – let every other clan know that Alfred had been exiled. We can only assume that one of the reasons was to prove that the clan was heading in a different, more peaceful direction. The complication here is that he was accepted into another clan once he had found his mate. She was a quarter-blooded Elf who was a member of the Newcastle, Australia clan who had been travelling through England when they met. They recognised their connection immediately, waited the requisite three months and sealed their bond. Alfred journeyed over to Newcastle without much more ado and received not only the blessing from the Head of her clan, but also acceptance into the clan for himself. When he arrived back in Britain they moved into a small cottage in the Scottish Highlands and began to reproduce. Their Wood Elf blood was obviously diluted over the years and forgot. Neither ever returned to Australia and our clan assumed he had never found his mate.” She paused, looking apologetically at Harry.

“So what you are saying is that no one knows which clan Harry belongs to, as he technically could be from either,” Severus said slowly, needing to voice the thought. “My apologies, but would you be willing to explain how you normally decide which clan a child belongs to if the parents belong to two different ones?”

“Normally they belong to the clan of the submissive partner, which in this case would be our clan –”

“Whoa, hang on! Sorry, but in a straight relationship the _man_ can be the submissive?” Harry’s voice held all the astonishment Severus could feel flowing down the bond. “How does that even work?”

Severus could not help the quiet chuckle that escaped, causing Harry to turn and glare at him. It was at times like this that Severus was forcibly reminded just how incredibly innocent Harry was when it came to certain subjects. His Veela purred in his mind, revelling in the fact that he had been the only one to touch his mate, before he drove it to the back of his mind. He turned to Catherine, who gave him a knowing smile.

“Let us just say that it is possible and leave it at that, shall we?” Severus knew he would pay for treating Harry like a child later on, but absolutely refused to explain the intricacies of what could have essentially been a muggle’s version of a dominant/submissive relationship in public. He caught the quickly covered grin crossing Catherine’s face before she continued.

“As I was saying, if we went by the normal standards, then you would be a part of our clan, but as Alfred stayed in exile his entire life, technically he was no longer a member of our clan. As for his mate’s clan, we have contacted them, and they have a birth record of this woman, Caroline. She apparently left the clan when she was a teenager, never to return. The only other record they have of her is when Alfred arrived to get the Head’s blessing for their bond. They do not count her as being a part of their clan.”

Severus could feel Harry’s frustration building as he listened to Catherine’s explanation. He was in complete sympathy with him, as this indecision meant their lives had just gotten that much more complicated. To be able to receive the blessing of the Head of Harry’s clan, Severus needed to know which clan was willing to accept him. He tossed that thought around in his mind for a few seconds before deciding to voice it.

“Catherine, if both of them were not technically part of a clan, does that mean that this could just come down to whichever clan is willing to accept Harry as being one of their own?” Perhaps if he layered on the guilt, it would produce a solution.

“I have spoken to the Head of Caroline Potter’s clan and he has told me that they are more than willing to accept you into their clan, Harry. However, it must be said that we would be honoured to have you as well. Both clans have agreed to leave the decision up to you.”

Severus watched Harry carefully, trying to judge his reaction. All he was receiving through the bond was a mixture of confusion and vague relief, although what the relief was over, he had no way of telling. He frowned as Harry stood with a sigh.

“Thank-you for the information, Catherine. Would you be willing to let me think about it overnight?” He tugged on Severus’s hand, causing him to rise to stand behind him.

“Of course; that is one of the reasons we are here, after all.” She glanced over to the other side of the room where the rest of the Elves were talking animatedly with Poppy and Minerva. “I am afraid you will be besieged by my Healers for much of the day tomorrow. Perhaps you could give me an answer tomorrow night?”

“That would be perfect,” Harry replied thankfully, before turning to look entreatingly into Severus’s eyes.

Severus smiled down at him, knowing he needed to be away from the rest of the chattering room. “We shall see you tomorrow night, then.”

They said their goodnights and headed slowly back down through the castle. Harry was quiet as they walked, lost in his own thoughts. His level of confusion had not abated since Catherine had told him the decision was up to him, which led Severus to believe that he was seriously considering both clans, despite the fact that choosing the Australian clan would mean that Severus would have to leave him for an extended period of time. He knew he would go along with whatever Harry chose, not just because his Veela demanded that he keep his mate happy, but because this was about Harry’s family. This was something he had to live with for the rest of his life and they were asking him to choose in one night.

“Sev?” Harry turned to him as they entered their rooms. “I’m not a normal submissive, am I?”

“ _That_ is what you are so confused about?” Severus stopped just behind the lounge, staring at Harry framed in the bedroom doorway.

“Well, yeah, what else would I be confused about?” Harry gave him a strange look before moving into the bedroom.

_Why me?_ “I would have assumed the fact that you apparently have two Wood Elf clans quite eager to have you join them would take precedence over whether you are a ‘normal’ submissive, Harry.” Severus could not keep the sarcasm out of his voice as he entered the bedroom to find Harry already half undressed.

“Oh, please! I’m not letting you get away from me for any longer than absolutely necessary.” Harry stepped out of his trousers and moved to wrap his arms around Severus’s neck. “I’m sorry, Sev, but I’m not sending you to Australia.”

Severus felt an unbelievably strong sense of relief wash through him as he backed Harry into the post of their bed, kissing him deeply. He felt Harry’s shoulders shaking as he began to laugh.

“You didn’t really think I would want that other clan after everything Catherine has done for us, did you?”

“I have learnt to never try to guess at your actions over the past few months,” Severus replied, allowing Harry to wriggle out of his grasp to lie under the covers of the bed. He waved a hand, silently Vanishing his own robes, before joining him.

“Which brings us back to my original question: I’m not normal, am I?”

“You are... _unusual_ for a submissive with a creature Inheritance.”

“I knew it,” Harry twisted in Severus’s arms, rolling over to face him. “Kingsley said I wasn’t acting like a submissive, Mrs. Malfoy was giving me strange looks; even Fleur was looking at me weird. Is... Is there something wrong with me?”

“ _No_ , there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. A full-blooded submissive is submissive in every aspect to their dominant: they agree with everything, have no opinions of their own and simply allow their mate to take care of every aspect of their lives.” Severus brushed a finger along Harry’s jaw as he stared up at him.

“So, if I was a proper Elf, or even a Veela, then I would have changed when the bond sealed?” Harry frowned, a look of distaste crossing his face.

“Partially; they retain their personalities around everyone, except their mate. No matter how desperately I wanted to find my mate, I now know that having a proper submissive would have driven me insane. What I have craved my entire life was a partner, someone who would challenge me, not agree blandly with everything.”

Harry grinned, understanding dawning in his eyes and desire ripping through him as his hands began to explore every inch of Severus. Willingly giving in to his own desires, Severus figured the discussion was over, for the time being at least.


	22. Chapter 22

Harry’s pacing woke Severus the next morning. His thumping footfalls walking back and forth in front of the fireplace in the living room were not loud enough to have woken Severus, but his muttering was. He lay in bed listening to Harry grumble, attempting to work out if he should go to him, or if he wished to be alone. The bond was of no use, as Harry had lowered the connection again, so that all Severus was receiving from him was a very mild sense of annoyance. He closed his eyes, focussing all his attention on the mumbled words he could almost make out.

“You’re being stupid... would never... not a threat...”

Severus sighed, knowing that allowing Harry to work himself up over whatever this was would not be a good idea. He slid out of bed, wrapping himself in a warm dressing gown as he moved silently out to the living room.

“ _Not_ a threat.” Harry had stopped his pacing and was standing with his hands on the mantelpiece, head resting on his forearms, staring into the fire.

Severus moved quietly up behind him, admiring the way the firelight flickered over his mate. He slid his arms around him without saying a word, knowing that Harry had sensed him long before he reached him. He nuzzled his nose into Harry’s hair. The mix of Harry’s naturally earthy scent combined with the lingering musk of their night together swam dizzily through Severus’s senses as he took a deep breath. Harry leant back into the embrace, swaying slightly as he tilted his head back for a kiss. Severus held him securely as he moved back towards the lounge. He settled them both down, Harry curled into his lap, head resting on his shoulder.

“Harry,” began, but was interrupted.

“It’s nothing, Sev. I’m being stupid.” Harry buried his face into the neck of the dressing gown, opening their empathic link as he snuggled closer.

Severus let out a relieved sigh as his Veela relaxed when he was able to sense Harry properly again. The worry he could sense could be over what the Wood Elf Healers were going to be doing today, but Severus knew Harry much better than to believe that this was something that simple. He sat silently for a while, arms wrapped securely around his mate, waiting for him to relax enough to be amenable to answering questions. When it felt as though Harry was about as relaxed as he was going to get, Severus tried again.

“Who is not a threat, Harry?” He felt his mate freeze, his shoulders tightening.

“You’re not going to drop this, are you?” Harry sighed when the only response he got was a raised eyebrow. “Fine, but I’m warning you, you’re not going to want to believe me.”

Severus frowned, concern for his mate creeping slowly through him. He instinctively tightened his hold of Harry, one arm supporting him as he leant back to look Severus in the eyes. His other hand came to rest on the swell of Harry’s belly; relief rushing through him when he felt the baby kick at him.

“If something has happened...”

“No, no, that’s not what I mean,” Harry breathed, one hand coming up to cup Severus’s face as he leant in to kiss him, the other resting over his heart. “I’m fine; the baby’s fine, I swear. It’s just... There’s a Healer Catherine brought with her yesterday. She took me aside and warned me that he might cause a bit of trouble, but said I shouldn’t worry about him; that he knew you were...” He trailed off with a worried look.

Confusion washed through Severus as he watched a heated blush spreading across Harry’s face. That sentence could _not_ have been going to finish the way it sounded as though it had been about to finish, could it? He took a deep breath, pushing the ridiculous notion out of his mind.

“That I was what?”

With a groan, cheeks flaming red, Harry buried his face into the crook of Severus’s neck. “With me,” he whispered, almost too softly for Severus to hear.

Shock sent his mind blank. Not even his Veela was attempting to make itself known, confused as he was. Harry believed that one of the Healers was interested in _him_? He would have laughed if he had not felt the worry and embarrassment flooding to him from Harry. He blinked a few times in an attempt to clear his mind of the fuzziness of the shock dulling his every sense. What finally snapped him out of it was a quiet noise from his mate, his face still buried into the soft neck of the dressing gown Severus wore.

“Harry?” He waited patiently for Harry to raise his head enough to meet his eyes. “From the second I realised you were my mate, I have known that I could never even consider thinking about another man. I love you, and there is no one else on the entire Earth who could change that.”

The strength of the relief that flooded down the bond at his words stunned him. Harry leant in and brushed their lips together gently, smiling as Severus drew his bottom lip into his mouth with his teeth.

“Thank-you,” he whispered after they broke apart. “I’ve been trying to fight against the urge to lock you in here away from him since yesterday afternoon.”

Severus grinned as the pieces started to fall together: Harry’s worry and confusion yesterday, the fact that he had wanted to leave the gathering so early and his concern over whether he was a ‘normal’ submissive now all made proper sense. “You believe you could force me to stay locked up in here?”

“I know exactly how to keep you here for as long as I want to,” Harry grinned as he fastened his mouth to the pulse thrumming in the base of Severus’s throat.

Severus let his head drop back against the back of the lounge, giving Harry better access. The thrill of having his neck so exposed to the teeth of another man rushed through his system, sending little jolts of electricity shooting through him. The past six months had blunted the edge of his natural instinct to shy away from having any vulnerable area of his body exposed to Harry and his teeth. Before their bonding, Severus had never even considered the idea of receiving pleasure from having someone biting gently down on the pulse point in the base of his throat. Now, however, he could not imagine being with Harry without the constant threat of sharp teeth nipping at his most sensitive areas. He almost whimpered at the loss when Harry began moving down his body, trailing hot lips down beneath the dressing gown to latch onto one of his nipples.

“Harry,” he moaned, his hands moving to slide beneath the waistband of the boxers Harry was wearing. His eyes flew open and his head snapped up as he felt them slapped away.

“Not today. Just relax,” Harry grinned at the surprised look Severus gave him before sliding off his lap onto his knees.

Severus stared down in wonder as Harry spread his knees, pulling him forward until Severus was completely exposed in front of him. The hungry look in Harry’s eyes sent sharp spikes of desire lancing through him. He watched Harry grin up at him before he began tracing the tip of his tongue down Severus’s stomach, his hands lightly resting on the sensitive underside of his thighs. His breath hitched and he let out a low moan as the hot mouth reached his rapidly swelling cock, breathing hot breath over him, but not touching, leaving him needy as Harry moved down to nip at the join of his hip and thigh. He reached to tangle his fingers in Harry’s hair, finding an anchor to the real world essential as the pleasure driving through him sent him higher. Harry chuckled, the vibrations from the low noise causing Severus to moan again.

“My God,” he groaned as he felt Harry’s hot, wet mouth closing around his tight sac, his tongue swirling his balls around briefly before releasing him way too soon.

“You may call me Harry.”

Severus attempted to glare down at his grinning mate, but failed as Harry wrapped his fingers around his aching erection. The jolts of pleasure that ripped through him as Harry licked the trail of pre-cum from the swollen head of his cock had him arching his back in an effort to get Harry to take him deeper. Harry merely chuckled again, sending vibrations straight through Severus’s cock, stealing his breath away. Harry explored him leisurely, tonguing his slit every time it appeared as though the leaking pre-cum was going to trail down his throbbing prick. Severus was on the verge of begging when Harry finally took him into his mouth, sliding down slowly until his lips met the top of the hand he had clenched around the base of Severus’s cock. Severus anticipated Harry’s next move: raising his head slowly, sucking him harder as he reached the tip, but it never came. He raised his head, glazed eyes searching for Harry’s green. Harry’s eyes locked onto his as he slowly slid his hand off, moving it to grip Severus’s hip. Severus watched with mounting need as Harry lowered his head, the sight of himself disappearing into Harry’s mouth sending him dangerously close to the edge. His hands dug into the leather of the lounge beneath him as he felt himself hit the back of Harry’s throat, desperately trying to cling onto his swiftly disintegrating control.

“H-Harry,” he gasped out as Harry swallowed around him.

Harry hummed, sliding his mouth up, replacing it with his hand as Severus began to come. He stroked Severus through his orgasm, massaging his balls to get every last drop and swallowing rapidly as hot jets of cum rushed into his mouth. Severus watched his mate fall back, panting heavily, and drive his hand down into the boxers he was wearing. Three quick, rough strokes later and Harry was coming, spurting his release over his fingers.

Severus managed to recover first, lowering himself onto the hearthrug beside Harry. He disentangled Harry’s hand from his boxers and sucked one of the wet fingers into his mouth, cleaning the cooling cum off. He heard Harry’s sharp intake of breath as the salty liquid hit his tongue and smiled against the damp palm in front of him. Taking his time, Severus savoured the taste of his mate against his tongue as he cleaned each of Harry’s fingers, then ran his rough tongue across the palm, more to enjoy the little jolt of pleasure it sent through Harry than because it needed it. He released Harry’s hand and leant in for a kiss, smiling a little as Harry’s mouth opened automatically for him.

“I love you,” Harry whispered when they broke apart. He pulled Severus down next to him to lie on the hearthrug, wrapping his arms firmly around him until they had to get ready for the day.

*~*

“Catherine, would it be terribly rude of me to ask you about something you said to Harry yesterday?”

Severus had not been able to suppress the feeling that Harry had got the wrong end of the stick, despite his mate’s insistence that he was right. He was sitting in a hard metal chair in the hospital ward, Catherine seated beside him, nursing a hot cup of tea. Harry had been taken over to a bed on the opposite side of the ward by an enthusiastic young woman as soon as they had arrived ten minutes before. They had sat the bed up so that Harry could see everything they were doing and stop them if he did not want something to happen. This precaution had laid many of Severus’s worries to rest, as it meant that his mate would not have to endure anything he did not want to. He glanced over to the woman seated next to him. She looked incredibly relaxed, watching the proceedings with a half-smile.

“You wish to ask about Adrian?” She turned to him with that same half-smile, a knowing look in her glowing green eyes.

“If that is the Healer Harry appears to think will be jumping me any second, then yes, I wish to ask about Adrian,” he replied, cocking an eyebrow at her.

“He has followed your work for many years now. I think, in the back of his mind, he always had a bit of a crush on you, but has refused to admit it, even to himself. He collected any articles on you that have appeared in potions magazines and the _Prophet_ , even the ones that had a decidedly negative connotation to them. When he heard where I was going, he begged me to allow him to come along, saying that all he wanted was to see you in person. He knows that you and Harry are bonded, and he would never do anything to try to break the two of you up. I believe that he may just be a little overzealous.” She had watched his reaction to her words carefully, although what she was looking for, Severus could not say.

He turned his gaze over to the bed Harry lay in, the small group of Healers swarming around him, some waving their wands in complicated patterns, others mixing potions. Not a single one of the men had given him a second glance when they had arrived, and none of them were looking now, either. Harry met his eyes and grinned, sending a warm feeling of comfort and safety flittering through Severus’s stomach. He looked back to Catherine, who was still watching him closely.

“There must have been something that made you wonder about him, if you felt it necessary to warn Harry about him.”

She smiled properly then, brushing her grey-streaked dark blonde hair behind her pointed ears. “I know how fragile a newly-formed bond can be, Severus, and did not know how strong your bond with Harry would be. I know now that there was no need for me to mention anything, as I have watched the two of you together and know just how strong your bond is. It is good to know that he will be cared for in the manner he deserves.” She smiled as Severus shot her a surprised look. “I got the feeling yesterday that he would decide to join our clan and, if that is the case, then it would be remiss of me to not be concerned about how our newest member was being treated by his mate.”

It was Severus’s turn to watch her closely, in an attempt to discern the truth of what she was saying. When it appeared as though she were telling him nothing but the absolute truth – that she was prepared to accept Harry as a full member of her clan – he relaxed a little further. Picking up his own cup of tea from the small table on his other side, Severus turned his attention back to the activity across the ward from them with a slight smile. Catherine allowed him to remain silent for a few minutes before clearing her throat quietly.

“Is there anything else that you wished to ask, now that we have some time to ourselves?”

Severus sat unmoving for a few seconds as a question formed in his mind. “You mentioned yesterday that Alfred was the submissive of the relationship?”

“As far as we can tell, yes, he was,” she replied, a frown creasing her brow.

“Can you tell me, then, why it was he who had to go to his mate’s clan, rather than the other way around?” This thought had been nagging at him since the night before, just as he was falling to sleep.

“Ah,” she smiled, understanding crossing her face. “There is only one circumstance where our traditions can be altered. That is when the bonded couple each come from a clan, but the submissive has been cut off from theirs. Since Alfred had been exiled, Caroline could not come to the Head of our clan at the time to receive his blessing. Caroline’s clan had not exiled her, so Alfred went to them, explained the situation and received their Head’s blessing for their bond.”

Severus nodded his understanding, wondering if Catherine would ever allow him access to her clan’s archives, as their history and traditions sounded incredibly interesting. It would be fascinating to spend some time going through their library, or whatever their equivalent was, at some point. Both he and Harry could take some time off from teaching after the baby had grown a little and make the trip together. He was sure Harry would want their children to know of their heritage. This time he recognised the little shock of joy his Veela sent through him for what it was: him accepting that he was going to have a proper family with his mate. He had to fight against the instinctual blush the realisation caused, letting his hair fall in front of his face for a few seconds until he had got his Veela back under control. Forcing his mind back to the topic at hand, he took the opportunity handed to him to question her about what he would need to do to make his and Harry’s bond official in the clan’s eyes.

“Well,” she replied, a thoughtful look crossing her features. “I am not as formal and conventional as some of our clan’s former Heads. You are lucky you do not have to deal with someone like my father, as he would have made you endure the entire formal ceremony, which can take anywhere up to three weeks. I know that it would not be good for either of you to have to be apart for that amount of time while Harry is with child. How about this: we wait until after the New Year, to give the two of you your first Christmas together, then you can come on down and get the official blessing in January. I would think it should not take any longer than two or three days at the most.”

“Two or three days?” Severus repeated, already dreading being separated from Harry for any amount of time, no matter how small. “That is actually much shorter than I had feared. Is there anything important I should know of beforehand?”

“No, not really. As this will not be the full ceremony, there is very little for you to do, other than arrive and seek me out.” Severus figured his trepidation must be showing on his face, as she offered him an encouraging smile. “Do not fear too much for Harry, Severus. Yes, it will be painful to be separated, but it should be worth it in the long run, when he is happy and content with the lengths you are willing to go to in order to make sure he is happy.”

He flushed and thought it a very good time for a minor change in topic. “I was also wondering if there is any chance that you might have something that had belonged to Alfred? Perhaps something that Harry could have?”

This idea had struck him that morning as he lay on the hearthrug with Harry’s arms wrapped around him. Severus had reminders of his heritage, such as the Prince family ring he had given to Harry for his 18th birthday, but Harry had nothing of the sort, not even from Lily. Of course, he had that bloody cloak of his father’s, but that was something Severus chose to ignore, as it brought back bad memories for him. If Catherine was able to track down something that had belonged to Alfred, Harry could finally have a tangible reminder of his heritage.

“I am unsure if anything of his remains. May I ask why?”

Severus sighed. “The family he was placed with when his parents died were not...” He paused, trying to find a nice way of calling them ‘abusive, neglectful bastards’ to a woman he had met less than 24 hours before. “ _Pleasant_ , shall we say. He had no idea he was even a wizard until the letter was sent to him, let alone that he might have some kind of creature Inheritance. I would like to be able to give him something that links him back to his heritage, if that is possible.”

“Yes, if I can find anything of his that the clan could part with, you shall have it.” Catherine offered him a wide smile, looking inordinately pleased with the direction of the conversation.

They had no time to continue it then, as the Healers finished what they had wanted to do with Harry at that moment. Severus smiled up at his mate as he came waddling over to lean into his side, his hand running through Severus’s hair. Severus Summoned a chair for Harry to take as Catherine began explaining their idea for when Severus could make the journey to Newcastle to get the official blessing. Harry’s wide smile when they told him that Severus would be with him for both Christmas and New Year warmed Severus much more effectively than the refilled cup of tea he was nursing.

The rest of the week followed along in much the same manner: Harry arriving in the hospital ward to allow the Wood Elf Healers time to test whatever it was they were curious about while Severus and Catherine grabbed whatever time alone they could around his classes to discuss his impending arrival in Newcastle. A few times during these sessions, Catherine brought up items that may have relevance to Alfred that the clan could part with. Severus took mental notes on each, taking the time to look each item up if he did not quite know the relevance they could have held in a clan leader’s life. Some of the items sounded very promising, such as the official scroll that Alfred had signed when he had been sworn in as Head, which Catherine assured him would be no trouble to duplicate with magic. He ended the week feeling incredibly satisfied with the direction his plans were taking, if a little worried about having to leave Harry for a couple of days in the New Year.


	23. Chapter 23

Severus had had cause to wonder over the past six and a bit months if he was the only person alive with a creature Inheritance who had troubles controlling it at times. He had never seen his mother’s transformation, and had not even known that Narcissa was part-Veela until after he had left Hogwarts. This past week had provided an answer to his query: Harry had spent much of the week attached to his side whenever they were both free. Severus had sensed his mate’s Elven side close to the surface of his mind when they had the occasion to leave their rooms together, even if it was only to eat in the Great Hall. He knew it was due to this Wood Elf Healer who apparently had a bit of a crush on Severus, although Severus had not actually met the man.

He shook his head as he received another sharp jab of worry down the bond. He had learnt that Harry’s worry spiked when he was in the hospital ward with the rest of the Elves and someone mentioned Severus by name. Usually the worry was immediately shoved back, but this time it stayed, getting worse by the second. Severus pushed his chair back, dismissed his combined seventh- and eighth-years 15 minutes early and left the room quickly. He practically jogged through the castle towards the hospital ward, thankful that most of the students were still finishing off their last classes for the week. A little of his worry was relieved when he got within earshot of the ward and could not hear shouting. If something had gone terribly wrong, surely there would be more of a commotion. He pushed the door open, but did not get very far into the ward before he was stopped by a handsome young Elf.

“You’re Severus, right?”

He stood an inch or two shorter than Harry, his curly brown hair covering the tips of his pointed ears. His glowing blue eyes widened as he watched Severus standing before him, his wide grin showing a row of straight, white teeth. Severus nodded and attempted to sidestep him as he felt a jab of jealous anger from Harry. The man, who Severus assumed was in his early twenties, stepped in front of him again, still smiling wide.

“I’ve wanted to meet you for a while –” The sentence was cut off by a clawed hand wrapping around his throat from behind.

“Get the fuck away from _my mate_ ,” Harry growled, low and angry.

Severus sucked in an appreciative breath at the beautiful sight in front of him. Harry – ears pointed, eyes glowing a brilliant green – standing behind the man who had to be Adrian, who appeared to be terrified of the claws grasping his throat.

“Adrian! What have you done?” Catherine sounded almost as angry as Harry as she came up behind them.

“All I was –”

Harry snarled and tightened his grip, choking the man into silence. “ _My mate_ ,” he repeated, eyes never leaving Severus. “I waited three years for him: you’re _not_ taking him away from me.”

Severus took a small step forward, prompted by his Veela. He knew instinctively that Harry would not hurt him, but the rest of the people in the room appeared to think this a very bad idea. He heard gasps as he got closer, but he knew he had to prevent Harry from seriously hurting the idiot he had in his grip.

“Severus, be careful. I know you are bonded, but that is no guarantee he will not hurt you, as well.” Catherine’s voice was soft and low, as though she did not wish to alarm Harry.

“I shall be fine; he will not harm me,” Severus assured her, knowing he was speaking the exact truth. He slowly raised a hand as he got closer, leaving it visible at all times. His fingers brushed gently against those held tight enough around the Healer’s throat that he was slowly turning a bright red. “Harry...”

Harry’s eyes had not left Severus’s face the entire time he had been in the ward. Severus was painfully aware of this, acutely conscious of the hurt and uncertainty in those beautiful eyes as they watched his every move. Harry’s shoulders had stiffened as Severus moved closer, causing him to change his direction slightly, so he was standing beside Harry, rather than in front of the two of them, Adrian between them. He felt the fingers loosening as he brushed his own against them.

“Sev?” Harry’s voice was rough, hesitant.

“Let go, love,” Severus whispered close to Harry’s ear. “He is not worth it.”

There was a choked gasping of air as Harry’s fingers released the struggling Elf. Adrian sagged down to the ground, wheezing hoarsely as Harry stepped over him, taking Severus’s hand and moving him towards the door. “You bastard.”

Severus snarled and pointed his wand, casting the first spell that came to mind. His Stunner hit the hapless Elf seconds before Harry’s _Furnunculus_. Watching coldly as Adrian fell unconscious to the ground, boils spouting from every exposed bit of skin, Severus glanced up to meet Catherine’s eyes.

“Go care for Harry. I shall deal with this mess.” She offered him a grim smile as he turned to follow Harry out of the hospital.

Harry had left the ward the second he had cast the jinx, so he had half a corridor’s head start on Severus. He lengthened his strides to catch up to his mate, needing to know he was alright, that they were alright.

“Harry.”

“Don’t,” Harry snapped, snatching his hand away as Severus tried to take it. “ _Damn it!_ I’m sorry, Sev, but... not here.”

Severus blinked, attempting to clear the haze of pain out of his mind that Harry’s rejection had caused. He knew it was ridiculous, that Harry had not meant his actions to be taken as a rejection, but he could not control how his Veela perceived things. He also knew that his reaction – freezing where he stood and wincing in pain – had only pissed Harry off further. He spent the rest of the journey back down to the dungeons in silence, alternating between forcing his Veela to the back of his mind and fighting off the urge to tell Harry exactly where to go and how to do it. He was so preoccupied with his own internal struggles that he was not focussed on how Harry was reacting to his silence.

Harry moved immediately to their bedroom when they entered the suite of rooms, not glancing back to see if Severus would follow behind him. Severus bit back a sigh, briefly considered simply ignoring Harry’s mood and taking a seat in the living room, but knew that he had to make things right with him. He gave Harry a few seconds alone before silently stepping through the door. Any anger he had been feeling towards his mate melted the second he got a look at him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Harry’s head was in his hands, his shoulders hunched, misery flowing off him in waves. Severus instantly moved to kneel in front of him, pulling his hands from his face.

“Harry,” he began, but was interrupted.

“I don’t deserve you, Sev.” Harry’s eyes and ears had not changed back, but the claws had retracted on the way back to the dungeons. “You need someone who won’t hurt you like this all the time; someone smarter, who’s worth the effort.”

“ _No_ ,” Severus growled fiercely, startling Harry into looking him in the eyes. “If you ever try to tell me you are not worth the effort required to make this relationship work again, I shall be forced into taking some drastic measures. I know exactly how hard you have worked to break me out of some of my old habits and you cannot tell me that if we had no bond, no Inheritance to deal with, that I would be worth that amount of effort. I also know that a Wood Elf bond is just the same as a Veela bond in many aspects; that if you wished for this to be a bond in name only, then that is exactly what we would have. The fact that you have chosen to be with me – chosen to put up with every little quirk, annoyance and abnormality that comes along with that decision – is nothing short of a miracle to me. I love you, Harry, and will never want or need anyone else.”

Harry moved so fast Severus would have had no hope of stopping him even if he had wanted to. His fingers gripped the shoulders of the black teaching robes, pulling Severus up onto the bed. He landed with a soft thump on his back, his feet dangling over the edge of the bed. Harry landed on top of him a few seconds later, straddling his hips and kissing him possessively. Severus wrapped his arms around his mate, holding him as close as his swollen stomach would safely allow. He responded to the kiss enthusiastically, his Veela sending shocks of relief through him. He dipped his tongue into Harry’s hot mouth as Harry ground their hips together, sending electric jolts through him. His Veela objected when Harry broke the kiss, urging him to grab onto his mate and not allow him to leave until he had been satisfied. Before he could follow through on that demand Harry had sat up, still rolling his hips, but staring down into Severus’s eyes.

“Promise me something, Sev.”

“Mmm,” was the only response Severus was capable of at the time. The rocking of Harry’s hips was causing him some serious blood flow issues, leaving his mind blissfully blank and his cock rock hard, pressed up against Harry’s soft arse.

“Promise me you won’t go to Newcastle,” Harry whispered, before leaning down to latch onto the pulse thrumming in Severus’s throat.

“Mmm.” _Wait, no!_ His mind suddenly caught up to the conversation Harry was trying his best to distract him from, sending a sense of _wrong_ shooting through him. “Harry –”

“I love you, Sev. You’re all I’ve ever wanted and I know that that’s enough for me. I don’t need to be a part of any clan. I don’t need for someone to recognise we’re bonded for it to be true. All I need is you.” He lowered his lips back down to suck on Severus’s throat, his hips rocking in a steady rhythm.

Seriously fighting the urge to simply give in to his body’s insistent demands, Severus gathered Harry into his arms and twisted, laying him down on the bed properly. He sat back between his mate’s spread legs, trying to keep his eyes locked on Harry’s face and not the tempting bulge in the front of his jeans. He turned his focus inwards, paying more attention to Harry’s emotions than to his physical reactions as he voiced the questions he knew needed to be asked.

“Do you trust me?”

“Of course,” Harry frowned as he answered, the emotions flowing down the bond backing up the simple statement.

“But not when it comes to this Healer?”

Guilt, shame and anger surged through to him in equal amounts as Harry squirmed under his gaze. “No, I trust _you_ completely. However, I can’t stand having _him_ anywhere near you. I don’t know him, I don’t trust him and I don’t want him close to you, no matter the circumstances.”

Severus lowered his eyes to the hands he had folded in his lap. He knew Harry was speaking the exact truth, which caused him a slight problem. He knew that Harry would regret it if he did not allow Severus to go to Newcastle and get Catherine’s official blessing for their bond. He had been excited beyond belief about the prospect of belonging to a clan and to just change his mind like this must be painful for his mate. There could be no easy answer for this issue, Severus knew, but he also knew that he had to try.

“Harry –”

“No, Sev, don’t try to change my mind. I don’t want you to go; I don’t trust him.”

“Harry –”

“It’s enough that I know which clan I belong to. You’re all I need, Sev. If our kids want to get a blessing for their bonds, if they have them, then they can, but it’s not necessary for us, is it?” Harry closed the space between them swiftly, pushing Severus until he was lying on his back again and continued the steady rocking of his hips.

“If you continue to interrupt me, Potter, then I shall have to gag you.” That seemed to shut Harry up, as well as conjuring some incredibly delicious-looking scenarios that Severus had to force himself to push aside for the moment. He grabbed Harry’s hips, stopping the rocking long enough to clear his mind a little. “Is there any way you could picture this conversation coming to an end that does not involve me giving in to your every demand?”

“There’s only one demand I want satisfied at the moment,” Harry whispered, his hips jerking in Severus’s hands.

His Veela prompting him, Severus grunted as he lifted Harry, lying him down against the pillows. With a wave of his hand, Harry was naked before him, panting as he stared up at him in anticipation. Severus took a couple of seconds to admire the sight of his mate before him, hot and ready. With a grin, Severus knelt down between Harry’s legs and swallowed him whole in one swift movement.

“Oh my God!” Harry yelled, bucking upwards into Severus’s mouth.

Chuckling quietly, Severus steadied Harry with one hand on his hip, the other running slowly up his side. He could tell from the noises he was making that Harry would not last very long and decided to do everything in his power to facilitate this. His left hand slid down Harry’s side, moving to cup his swollen balls, slowly massaging them as he got closer and closer. He sucked hard on his mate’s stiff cock as he raised his head, replacing his mouth with his other hand as he went.

“S-Sev... I, I’m,” Harry gasped. A quick press to his perineum with the pad of one of Severus’s fingers had him coming in hot spurts. Severus swallowed all of him, stroking him until he began to soften.

He sat back on his heels for a few seconds, watching Harry pant before him. An idea began to form in his mind as he sat still, trying to ignore his own insistent needs. Leaning forward as Harry beckoned to him silently, he lay down beside his mate, allowing himself to be drawn into a kiss. Severus took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had not let his Veela to take him over completely since that first night, when it needed to spread the bonding magic around the both of them. With a wave of his hand, he was naked next to Harry, who immediately reached for his throbbing erection. Jerking his hips back from Harry’s touch, Severus broke the kiss and let his Veela have control.

“Sev?” Harry whispered as the transformation took hold.

Severus sighed as the pressure in his shoulder blades released, spreading his enormous wings out behind him. He shook his lengthened hair out of his silvery eyes and stared hungrily down at his mate. He leant in close, wrapping his left hand behind Harry’s neck, holding him gently as the other hand made its way down Harry’s body, caressing his side and the swell of his belly. He allowed Harry to kiss him briefly as the exploring hand moved down further, slipping past Harry’s spent cock to press a finger into his entrance.

“You are _mine_ ,” he whispered possessively.

“Yes,” Harry gasped, writhing on the finger impaling him.

Severus smiled as he thrust the finger in deeper, eliciting a moan from his mate. “You will never belong to anyone else.”

“No,” Harry moaned as he pressed down on the thrusting finger.

“Tell me.” Severus added a second finger, pushing them both in slowly.

“Yours, I’m yours,” Harry practically whimpered as the fingers scissored inside him. “No one else’s.”

“And I am yours.” Severus added a third finger, hooking them all to brush against Harry’s prostate. He squeezed the hand holding the back of Harry’s neck as he pressed against the tight bundle of nerves.

“Gods, Sev,” Harry gasped, looking up at him through glazed eyes.

“Say it.” Severus did not know how long he could hold out before taking his mate.

“You... are mine.”

Severus gently squeezed the hand on Harry’s neck as he stated his claim aloud. Harry had managed to modify Severus’s behaviour relating to his Dark Mark, so he figured it would be just as easy for him to do the same to Harry. Since he could not brush his fingers against Harry’s scar every time he faltered, Severus would brush them across the back of his neck, reminding him that Severus was his.

“Yes, Harry,” he whispered as he slipped his fingers out and rolled Harry over, positioning himself at his mate’s entrance. “Yours and only yours.”

Severus let out a deep moan as his Veela allowed him to have control again. It had retreated, but not far enough to take any of the physical changes with it. Severus wrapped his wings around him and Harry as he pressed in slowly. He reached to wrap his fingers around his mate’s hardening cock, stroking him back to his full length again.

“Sev,” Harry moaned, extending his name as Severus brushed against his prostate again.

“Talk to me, Harry. Tell me.”

“Tell...? _Gods_ that’s good... Tell?” Confusion ran beneath the pleasure coursing through Harry’s system as Severus pulled out and thrust in slowly.

“I... am... _yours_ ,” Severus growled. He smiled at the joy that flooded through his mate in waves and nibbled on Harry’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Harry moaned as Severus brushed a finger against his neck. “Only mine.”

Severus’s hips jerked of their own accord. He let out a groan as he felt Harry’s fingers threading through the feathers in front of him and knew he had to finish Harry soon. Adding a twist of his wrist as he stroked him, Severus angled his hips to hit Harry’s prostate. The mumbled words of encouragement and the erratic jerks of Harry’s hips let Severus know that he was very close to completion. Two more hits to his prostate were all it took for Harry to start spasming around him, dragging Severus’s orgasm out of him at the same time.

“ _Mine_ ,” Harry surprised him by almost snarling as Severus reached his completion. He turned and drew him into a harsh kiss, biting down hard on Severus’s bottom lip.

Severus smiled, despite the pain of having Harry latched onto him. He completely understood Harry’s need to mark his claim, as he had felt the desire himself a number of times. He had always resisted, not wanting to hurt Harry at all, but apparently Harry had no problems marking him. He had read that this marking was a natural part of having a magical creature Inheritance; that the full-bloods all marked their mates at the time of bonding, leaving them with a scarred bite mark somewhere visible on their body. The only time a part-blood felt the need to properly mark their mate was if they felt threatened by another who could potentially take their mate from them. He had felt the desperate urge to rip Ronald Weasley’s throat out a couple of times since he and Harry had bonded and had always had to resist the urge to mark Harry that night when they were alone. Severus chuckled and moved back a little, pulling his lip from between Harry’s teeth.

Harry gasped as his eyes fluttered open, seeing the small smear of blood he had caused on Severus’s lip. He closed them again and concentrated, sending a flood of magical energy through Severus, who gave a small gasp of his own. He had nearly forgotten that Harry had helped to Heal him in the hospital ward with his Veela magic.

“Harry?” Severus felt a strange shiver course through him as the bite mark Healed. “I would wear it proudly if it kept you happy.”

“I _am_ happy, Sev, now more than ever. I don’t need a visual reminder of what I have.” Harry ran his fingers through the hair falling over Severus’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I’ve been acting like such an idiot recently. I never doubted you, not once, but when he started talking about you like that... I just lost it completely. All my old fears about people using me just because of that fucking prophecy surfaced again and I couldn’t hold it back anymore. Forgive me?”

Severus smiled as he leant in to brush their lips together. “There is nothing to forgive, love. If I had not dismissed your worries as summarily as I did then you would not have been as stressed as you wound up this afternoon. We are both at least partially to blame for what happened to that impudent bastard in the hospital.” Severus could not help the sneer that crossed his lips at the thought of Adrian.

“Wish I’d thought of something more painful to curse him with,” Harry grumbled, but there was no anger behind his words, sending relief through Severus.

Severus grinned as he drew Harry into a tight embrace. He knew it would take Harry a while to get used to the idea that Severus was going to go to Newcastle to get Catherine’s official blessing for their bond, but that he would not stand in his way. He had hoped fervently that they would never have to face anything like a threat to their relationship over the past six months, mostly because he had always imagined that it would be Harry finding someone better suited for him than Severus ever could be. Now that it had happened, he knew that they were stronger for it. Any lingering doubts Harry had about them and their bond must surely have been put to rest now, he figured. An almost overwhelming rush of pure love flooded through him as the image of what Harry was willing to risk to remain his flashed through his mind, causing him to tighten his hold of his mate.

“Love you, too, Sev,” Harry murmured sleepily into his shoulder.

Severus settled down properly next to Harry, wondering how the Fates could have finally managed to get this one aspect of his life so very, very right.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out a lot longer than any of the others has yet, because I couldn't stand to cut any of it out. So I hope you enjoy an extra long dose of extremely cheesy fluff :)

Christmas day dawned cold, but clear. A fresh layer of snow coated everything in sight, turning Hogsmeade into a clichéd Christmas postcard. Severus smiled a little at the thought as he stood at the living room window, staring out at all the white. He had never really enjoyed the holiday season, believing the traditions to be ridiculous. Albus had really been the one to push Severus to join in the school’s festivities every year over drinks on Christmas Eve, even if it was only to sit grumpily at the table in the Great Hall for tea. This year had been different, however. Harry’s obvious enthusiasm for the season, and everything it brought with it, must have been contagious. Severus had found himself looking forward to the holidays for the first time in many years. Of course, this was the first time in over ten years he had had someone to share the season with and the first with his mate.

The thought of Harry brought a proper smile to his face. Towards the start of December Severus had arrived home to find what seemed to be the entire house decorated in tinsel, lights, candles, wreathes and mistletoe. Harry had been standing anxiously in front of the tree in the middle of the living room, waiting to see Severus’s reaction. A strong sense of relief had flooded through him as Severus had smiled and moved to gather him into his arms.

“This is the first time I’ve ever had the chance to decorate anything,” Harry had explained.

This had surprised Severus, despite the fact that he knew it should not have. He had known for a while about the neglect Harry had suffered at the hands of his Aunt and Uncle, as well as the physical abuse inflicted upon him by his Cousin Dudley. He had decided that very second that he would make damn sure that this first Christmas completely away from their influence would be one of the best Harry had ever experienced. A small noise accompanied by the sense of _Harry_ caused Severus to turn from the window, shaking off the thoughts of the Dursley’s.

“Morning,” Severus whispered with a smile as Harry closed the gap between them, swaying forward into a kiss. A delighted shiver ran through him at the feel of Harry’s warm body pressed close to him and he wrapped his arms around him, holding him snugly against his chest.

“Mmm,” Harry hummed happily against Severus’s lips. “Cuppa?”

“Please.”

He followed his mate’s slow progress into the kitchen, still finding amusement in the waddle Harry’s walk had turned into. He knew better than to offer to make the tea himself, as Harry would only give him a withering look and explain, as though to a child, that he was pregnant, not incompetent. Harry put the kettle on the stove to boil the muggle way and moved back over to sit in Severus’s lap at the table, his arms wrapped around his neck.

“I love the way your hair smells,” he mumbled as he buried his nose behind Severus’s ear. “All herb-y and warm.”

A heated blush warmed Severus’s cheeks as he listened to Harry breathing in his scent, his breath tickling down the collar of the warm dressing gown he wore. “Harry?”

“You smell like home.”

Severus’s breath hitched in his throat at the quiet words and the feeling of safety and comfort accompanying them. He brought a hand up to cup Harry’s face, tracing his thumb over his mate’s lips before leaning in to take a soft kiss. He sighed contentedly as their lips moulded together and Harry opened willingly for him as he pressed his tongue against his lips. His hand trailed down Harry’s side slowly, moving to rub small circles on his bulging belly. Harry let out a small laugh as the baby kicked against Severus’s hand.

“Hmm,” Severus murmured as Harry broke the kiss. “Apparently Lily does not like me rubbing your stomach.”

“ _Albus_ doesn’t like it because you keep calling him a girl,” Harry responded with a huge grin before slipping off Severus’s lap to make the tea. He hovered the mug of black tea over to Severus when it was made, grinning again at the slightly worried look Severus gave the cup. “Come on.”

Severus followed Harry back to the living room, fighting off a sudden flash of nerves as the moment he would have to give Harry his Christmas present neared. Catherine had come through for him during the last week of classes, sending over a copy of the scroll that Alfred Potter had signed when he had been sworn in as Head of the clan, as well as a number of sketches of him and his parents. Severus had had the scroll mounted in a hand carved wooden frame, which matched the smaller versions for the sketches. He allowed Harry to push him down onto the lounge in front of the fire, putting aside his mug as he sat.

“So...” Harry began, but stopped as nerves thundered through him, much stronger than the ones that had gripped Severus a few seconds before. He ducked his head, staring intently into the tea he held in a death grip in front of him.

Deciding to take control of the situation before it became the ludicrous debacle it was threatening to, Severus Summoned a box from amongst the presents beneath the tree. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, he handed the box to his shocked-looking mate.

“Happy Christmas, Harry.”

Harry’s eyes widened impossibly at the size of the box, which had to be large to contain the foot-long scroll in the wooden frame. He placed his tea aside and turned on the lounge to place the box on the middle cushion. Severus could feel wonder and joy washing through the bond in equal parts as Harry ran his fingers over the silver wrapping paper. They traced up the red and green ivy pattern on the ribbon tying the lid down before gripping the ends of the ribbon and pulling gently. The bow came apart slowly, sending a jolt of impatience through Severus.

“There’s no need to get impatient Sev: _you_ know what’s in here,” Harry laughed. “I want to enjoy the feeling of not knowing.”

Severus smiled at the tone in Harry’s voice. He knew that the only proper presents Harry had ever received at Christmas had been from the people he had met since coming away to Hogwarts and completely understood the urge to make this feeling of wonder last as long as possible. However, that understanding did not diminish his need to know that Harry liked what he had gone to such pains to get for him.

The ribbon finally slid off and the paper fell away from the lid of the box, slipping onto the floor. Harry glanced up and grinned in anticipation at Severus, who could not help grinning back. It never ceased to surprise him just how much like a giddy adolescent Harry could make him feel with a simple smile, and he hoped it never would. Harry gripped the lid and pulled it up, slight nerves and curiosity jumbling up inside him. He peeked over the top of the box as the lid came off in his hands, letting out a small gasp. He reached in and pulled out the largest frame, containing the scroll.

“Holy sh... Is this...?” Harry turned amazed eyes to Severus, who smiled back.

“A copy of the scroll Alfred Potter signed when he was sworn in as Head of the clan.”

Harry reached back into the box, pulling out the set of four sketches. There was one of Alfred by himself as a child, one of him about the same age with his parents, one where he appeared to be a teenager, and one of him during the ceremony to name him Head. The emotions coming down the bond were strong, but so mixed Severus did not have a hope of differentiating them. He eyed Harry carefully in an attempt to tell what he was thinking. He did not have to wait long to find out, as Harry placed the frames aside carefully, shoved the box onto the ground and pounced on him. Harry pinned him to the armrest of the lounge by gripping his shoulders with surprisingly strong hands.

“I love you, Sev,” Harry gasped as he covered every inch of Severus his lips could reach in wet kisses. “So very, very much. You have no idea.”

Severus chuckled quietly as relief flooded through him. He, of course, had an incredibly strong sense of how ‘very, very much’ Harry loved him, and knew that Harry could feel the sentiment reciprocated through the bond.

“What if I were unsure, Harry? What if I required a demonstration?”

Harry sat back, staring down at him hungrily. He grabbed his wand from the coffee table and waved it at the lounge, extending it so they could lie down. Apparently unwilling to wait, he ripped the dressing gown open, licking his lips in anticipation. Severus puffed out a breath as desire thrilled through him, hardening his cock and causing a desperate desire to take Harry right there and then.

Reaching for his mate, Severus found he had no patience today for taking things slowly, and felt his urgency echoed in Harry’s emotions. Grabbing the shoulders of Harry’s own dressing gown, he shoved them aside and threw it on the floor. He lay Harry down and curled around his back, gently inserting a finger to the first knuckle. When Harry moaned and pushed back, taking him in further, Severus started thrusting the finger swiftly, adding a second when Harry began to demand it. He slowed the thrusting this time, scissoring the fingers to widen Harry’s entrance, ignoring the whining pleads of his mate telling him he can take a third already. As desperately as he felt the need to be buried inside him, Severus would never go faster than Harry could take without injury. He added a third finger after Harry had threatened to hex him if he did not hurry up.

“Who is the impatient one now, Potter?” Severus chuckled breathlessly into Harry’s ear as his fingers slid smoothly in to the second knuckles.

“Need you now, Sev, please?”

Severus pulled the fingers out, smiling at the question in Harry’s voice. He moved his hand around to grip Harry’s leaking cock as he positioned himself at his entrance. Pushing steadily in, he released a breath he had not known he had been holding as he felt Harry stretching around him. The feel of Harry’s desperation to be filled completely combined with his breathless pleading pushed Severus on further, causing him to thrust his hips suddenly so he was half-way in before he really should be. He froze at the surprised noise that escaped from Harry, worried that he had hurt him. When the only response he got was a whine that he had stopped moving, Severus smiled and continued pressing in inch by inch.

The emotions flowing down the bond changed from desperation and slight annoyance to pure pleasure in a matter of seconds. Severus let out a deep moan as Harry squeezed around him, urging him in further, faster. Harry reached around behind them and grabbed one of Severus’s thighs, pulling him closer.

“More,” he gasped, pushing his hips back.

Severus willingly obliged, jerking his hips to bury himself completely inside Harry in one quick thrust. He bent to kiss the back of Harry’s neck as he waited for him to adjust to the swift invasion. It had been a lot easier than Severus had expected for Harry to begin to respond to him touching the nape of his neck. If they were in public, then it caused him to lean into the touch, his eyes fluttering closed in pleasure. However, when they were alone, the touch became so much more intimate. Harry arched his back, moaning loudly as his hips jerked, thrusting himself into Severus’s hand.

“Gods, Harry, you are truly beautiful,” Severus groaned, pulling out slowly and thrusting back in, knowing he was closer than he really should be at this point.

Harry twisted so he could draw Severus down into a heated kiss. The fire in Severus’s belly urged him on, needing to be quenched, needing release soon. Severus timed the strokes of his hand on Harry’s hard cock to his thrusts, drawing little whimpers from his mate. Severus felt his hips becoming erratic, his mind focussed on only one thing: reaching completion as soon as possible.

“Harry... I can’t hold,” he managed to gasp as he felt himself tipping over the edge.

Harry let out a loud moan beneath him a few seconds later, thick ropes of cum splashing up over his belly and Severus’s hand. Severus lay back against the back of the enlarged lounge, listening to Harry’s heavy breathing as they both tried to regain some control. He was just drifting off when he felt Harry move in front of him. A sharp shock of nerves accompanied by the tingle of a cleansing spell jolted him awake completely.

“Harry?” He was sitting on the edge of the lounge, his back to Severus. “Is something wrong?”

“No, no, I’m fine. More than fine, actually. I just, er, don’t really know how to do this.”

He turned to face Severus, legs crossed, with a small package in his hands. Severus could not tell what the package was; just that it was small and black. He sat up properly, watching Harry carefully. Harry’s nerves continued to increase the longer he waited to finish whatever it was he was attempting to say, causing Severus’s own nerves to jump in sympathy. Apparently coming to a decision, Harry heaved an enormous sigh and looked Severus in the eyes.

“So I may as well just do it. Sev, I know that you know that I love you more than anything else in the world; that I would do anything for you. So I was hoping you would do something for me. Will you marry me?” With that he pulled the top up on the little black box, revealing a plain, white gold band resting on red satin.

Severus stared down at the ring in shock. _Marriage? Why would he want to marry me?_ He felt his Veela ruffle in indignation in the back of his mind at the daft thought. _Because he is your mate, you fucking idiot_ , he admonished himself as he met Harry’s eyes with a wide smile.

“Of course I will, Harry.” His voice was rougher than usual, sounding deeper to his ears.

“Huh?” Shock rippled down to him from Harry, who was sitting frozen in the same crossed-leg position he had taken up roughly a minute before.

Severus smiled, moving closer to his stunned mate. He reached up to cup his face, drawing him in for a brief kiss. “Yes, I will marry you.”

“Oh... Oh!” Harry suddenly jerked out of the bewildered trance he had been in, turning to face Severus with joy in his eyes. “You will?”

“Yes, you dolt,” Severus laughed. “Unless you have changed your mind.”

“No! No. You’re not getting away that easily,” Harry grinned. “Hold out your hand.”

Severus obeyed, flexing the fingers of his left hand so Harry could slip the ring on his finger. He felt an odd tingle as it adjusted to the size of his finger. Staring down at the small band in wonder, Severus gave a slight shiver of pleasure as he felt Harry’s earthy-tinged magical signature settle over him. He glanced back up to his mate, who was smiling dopily at him.

“Hermione showed me how to key my magical signature into the band. She’s been researching Veela over the past few months on her own –” _Of course she bloody has!_ “– and thinks that having something that feels like me will help calm your Veela when you go to Newcastle in the New Year. She thinks it’ll make it a little easier.”

Severus allowed his eyes to drift shut, enjoying the small shocks of joy his Veela was sending through him. He knew Hermione was correct in thinking that this would make being away from Harry much easier; he must remember to thank her when they met again at The Burrow later in the day. He opened his eyes as the feeling began to wane and smiled at Harry. He sat back against the lounge, spread his legs in front of him and held his arms open. Harry immediately took the invitation, curling himself into Severus’s lap. Severus wrapped his arms around Harry and buried his face into his hair, breathing in his scent. They stayed curled up on the lounge, simply enjoying being together, until it was time to leave for The Burrow.

*~*

Severus heard the Weasley’s long before he got a glimpse of any of them. He sent a silent thanks up to anything or anyone who cared to listen that there were no shrieking ginger children running around as of yet as he and Harry entered through the back door.

“Harry, Severus! So good to see the both of you,” Molly greeted them at the door. “Merry Christmas. Come, take your coats off. I’ll get you both something to drink.”

Severus felt Harry squeeze his hand reassuringly as the rest of the family heard Molly’s voice and came to see who had arrived. Harry had been slowly integrating Severus into his past life over the past few months, and Severus had discovered that he got along quite well with Arthur and Molly, now that the immediate danger of being discovered as a spy had gone. His mate was swallowed up by a ginger tidal wave as they all crowded around to greet him. Severus hung back, watching Harry happily wishing each of the Weasley clan a Merry Christmas. He did not notice Arthur coming up behind him until he spoke.

“Merry Christmas, Severus.” The older man was standing beside him, smiling happily.

“Yes, I would say it has been,” Severus replied with a smirk. “And a Merry Christmas to you, too.”

“Oh, here, let me take that bag,” Molly’s voice sounded from behind Arthur as she reached for the bag that held the shrunken presents Severus carried in his left hand.

Severus handed it over without another thought, knowing Molly would place them all under the tree. He was about to turn back to ask Arthur about the latest developments at the Ministry when he heard a soft gasp from Molly. He glanced back to her to see her eyes fixed on his left hand. One of her hands fluttered up to cover her mouth as she turned suspiciously watery eyes to him.

“Oh my gosh, is that...?”

“An engagement ring,” Severus supplied softly with a hesitant smile, unsure how she would react. “My Christmas present.”

He vaguely registered a movement of bright red hair before he was enveloped in shawls. Molly pulled him down to kiss him on the forehead. “Welcome to the family.”

He glanced over to Arthur, who was watching him with an amused twist to his lips.

“You should probably expect that to happen a lot more often from now on,” he advised with a smile. “Congratulations.”

Molly pushed her way into the group surrounding Harry and treated him to the same kind of congratulations she had bestowed on Severus. He saw them speaking, then the shocked looks cast his way from most of the rest of the Weasley’s. There was a slight movement from the back of the pack, and Hermione emerged from the group, who were all pretending not to have been staring at him.

“Congratulations, Professor,” she grinned up at him, eyes sparkling. “And Happy Christmas.”

Severus allowed himself to relax as he fell into easy conversation with Arthur and Hermione about the current state of the Ministry. Harry had been ushered into the living room with the rest of the Weasleys, excepting Percy, who was helping his mother in the kitchen, and Bill, who was yet to arrive. Severus, Arthur and Hermione seated themselves at the kitchen table, debating the changes Kingsley was attempting to make to the laws regarding how the Ministry was governed. He had managed to replace the Dementors in Azkaban two months previously and was currently having problems with the spells surrounding the prison. They had to be able to keep the prisoners in and subdued, but they also had to be humane, which was what was causing most of the problems. The arrival of Bill and Fleur caused a momentary lapse in conversation as Arthur greeted his son and daughter-in-law. Severus sensed Harry before he appeared.

“You’re really smart, Sev,” Harry began with a cheeky grin. “Come beat Ron at chess for me.”

Severus glanced over in surprise as Hermione snorted in laughter. “Yes, please do; he’s entirely too cocky when it comes to that ridiculous game.”

He cast a look over to where Arthur stood with his sons, wife and daughter-in-law. He got the impression that their conversation had been put on indefinite hiatus and so agreed to go with them.

“One game only, Harry,” he told his mate, who grinned deliriously at him.

“Oh, don’t worry, Sev: that’s all you’ll need.”

It turned out that Ron was quite a sore loser. After being soundly trounced at the game he had been claiming just ten minutes before that no one could beat him at, he turned his attention to his younger sister. Ginny had been sitting behind Ron, watching happily as Severus thwarted every move he tried to make. Severus had felt a rush of relief that she had not caused any problems during the semester and the conversation going on around him gave him the reason why.

“So, Gin... How’s Krum?” George’s voice sounded from the other lounge where he and Fred sat, looking as though they were plotting something.

Severus glanced up in time to see her blush. He frowned, knowing this was unusual for her and turned to Harry, who smiled as he leant in to explain quietly.

“Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker. He was at Bill and Fleur’s wedding and Ginny caught his eye. They’ve been writing back and forth for a few months now and he says he can help her get onto one of the professional teams once she’s out of Hogwarts.” Harry settled down on the end of the second lounge next to Severus, hovering the chess table away from them. “I hope they get along when they meet up after she’s out of school. It’d be nice to see everyone settled.”

Severus smiled down at the messy mop of hair snuggling into his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around and began massaging small circles into Harry’s lower back. Sighing contentedly, Harry moved closer, a warm feeling of satisfied bliss washing down the bond. It did not even occur to Severus to guard his actions in front of the group of his current and ex-students, as Harry’s happiness was the only thought occupying his mind. He was jerked out of the mild trance Harry’s closeness had placed him under by a voice declaring it was time to open the presents. He raised his head to catch Hermione smiling happily at the two of them, perched at the bottom of the rickety-looking staircase with Ron. There were people occupying every available surface, all watching Arthur in anticipation.

“Alright,” Arthur called out over the din in the living room. “First one goes to... Ron!”

Severus watched in slight shock as the presents were passed out. He had never been a part of this kind of Christmas before; one where every single person in the room was incredibly happy to be there. His shock deepened when his name was called out towards the end. He flicked his gaze over to Molly, who smiled brightly at him. Harry grabbed his attention by chuckling quietly.

“I know what that is,” he almost giggled, poking at the lumpy package in Severus’s hands. “We all get one every year.”

Severus risked a glance back up to Molly, who indicated he should open the present. He lifted the tape from the paper carefully, folding it back to reveal a black knitted jumper with a green “S” in the centre. Folded carefully beneath the jumper was a collection of baby clothes, all hand knitted as well. He glanced over to Harry, who had exclaimed in delight at the set of baby clothes included in with his own jumper. Harry immediately removed the jumper he was wearing and drew the new one over his head; it was a deep green with a golden “H” knitted into it. He grinned as he took the black jumper from Severus’s hands, pulling it on over the white shirt he wore. Severus offered up a slightly embarrassed smile as he pushed his arms through the sleeves. The jumper was incredibly soft and warm, smelling slightly of fresh baked cookies. The reason for the smell made itself known when he reached for the baby clothes. A small package of chocolate chip cookies was hidden beneath the clothes. Severus gazed in surprise at them as he touched the wrapping, realising Molly had placed them under a warming charm so they did not lose that fresh baked taste. Harry was pulling his own chocolate cookies out from under the baby clothes in his own present, anticipation brightening his smile even more. His attention was grabbed by an excited exclamation from Hermione, who had just unwrapped the set of political books Severus and Harry had given her. Harry had mentioned that he wanted to buy her a set of books for Christmas, but had been unsure of which to get. It had been Severus who had suggested these ones, as he remembered that they held a similar view of the Ministry Hermione had expressed on a few occasions when the conversation had turned that way. He sat back against the lounge, Harry cradled under his arm, to watch the rest of the room open their presents.

Fred and George both grinned conspiratorially at Severus and Harry when they opened the mix of potions ingredients they had requested. Severus had known that they would use them to create more of their Wizard Wheezes, but he had been talked into it by Harry, who had known that Severus could get his hands on ingredients the twins could not. Arthur seemed similarly pleased with the muggle money Harry had said he would like. Severus would never be able to grasp the man’s obsession with muggles, but was quite happy to encourage it. Harry had gone shopping with Andromeda one weekday when Severus had been teaching to purchase the rest of the presents for the Weasleys, so Severus was just as surprised as they were when they opened them. He had brought Ron a full set of Chudley Cannons merchandise, which he immediately started putting on, the flaming orange clashing horribly with his hair. Molly received a collection of Celestina Warbeck music; Bill and Fleur got baby products from everyone; Charlie received a new set of flame proof gloves; Percy a set of books, but Severus could not tell what they were on from this distance. Ginny let out a gasp as she opened what appeared to be a photo album. Harry smiled at her uncertainly.

“I wasn’t sure if you would like that or not,” he told her quietly.

“I love it; thank-you.” She ducked her head, but not before Severus caught the flaming redness of her cheeks.

“Pictures of Viktor flying, as well as information on him,” Harry whispered to Severus, who chuckled in response.

“Perhaps she would have appreciated a ticket to Bulgaria to visit him a little more.”

“Oh, why didn’t I think of that?” Harry exclaimed, his head lifting from Severus’s shoulder.

“I was being facetious, Harry,” Severus replied in mild amusement, pulling him back down beneath his arm again.

Severus caught Molly watching them with a fond expression as Harry settled down against his chest with a small contented noise. She made everyone stay in the living room while she listened to the Celestina Warbeck Christmas special on the radio, despite the quiet noises of dissent coming from several of her children. Severus stayed in the same position on the lounge with Harry tucked safely under his arm, uncaring that the entire household could see them. 

The rest of the day passed in much the same way, with a massive lunch right in the middle. Molly pushed seconds and thirds on everyone, apparently not satisfied until they were all full enough that all they wished to do after lunch was lie around the living room and talk.

“Harry, have you seen Teddy recently?” Hermione’s voice sounded from across the room as Severus sat down on the lounge again after lunch.

“We saw him and Andromeda last weekend, as usual. Andromeda and Narcissa apparently want to get back in touch, so Teddy is staying with his grandmother while Narcissa and Draco visit for Christmas.”

“Just Narcissa and Draco; not Lucius?” Arthur cut in, curiosity deep in his voice.

“Andromeda does not like him,” Severus replied with a small smile. “She has banned him from her house until he can prove to her that he holds no ill-will towards either her or Teddy.”

“We’ll see them tomorrow instead, and we’ll probably see them on New Year’s Eve as well,” Harry finished, grinning at the huge smile on Arthur’s face. “Did we tell you that Narcissa has placed Lucius almost under house arrest?”

Severus sat back, enjoying the happiness flooding down the bond from Harry as he told Arthur what Draco had told the two of them about his parents. They ended the day being pulled into a tight embrace from Molly, but not before she had pulled Severus to the side while Harry was saying his goodbyes to the rest of the family.

“I wanted to apologise for my suspicions of you. I should have known that someone who has shown such incredible loyalty to Dumbledore would not mistreat Harry in any way once the bond was sealed. I hope you can forgive me and come to accept our family as your own, as Harry has.” She stared up at him anxiously as she finished, her fingers threading through one of the shawls she wore.

A strange mix of emotions flooded through Severus, each fighting to be felt first. Shock appeared to win out, as his mind went completely blank. He opened his mouth, took a deep breath and spoke without thinking.

“Thank-you, Molly. You have no idea how much this will mean to Harry... and to me.”

Harry came up behind him then, wrapping his arm around Severus’s waist. “Ready to go?”

Molly hugged the both of them again before they set off for the edge of the property so they could activate the portkey they had set up. Severus held tightly to Harry as it whisked them away from The Burrow. They landed in their living room in Hogsmeade, Severus steadying Harry as he stumbled a little on landing. It was only just past 9 but he could sense how tired Harry was, so he cast a silent feather-light charm and scooped his mate up in his arms so he could carry him upstairs.

“Did you have a good day, love?” Severus mumbled as he slid into their bed after Harry, moving to curl into his back.

“Mmm, it was brilliant,” Harry replied sleepily. He reached to twist the ring on Severus’s finger. “Love you, Sev.”

“I love you, too, Harry.” Severus placed a soft kiss on the exposed nape of Harry’s neck, enjoying the delighted shiver that ran through him. The thoughts running through his mind became fuzzier as he got closer to sleep, every single one of them circling around the idea of family.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this chapter has been giving me attitude for a little while now. It isn't quite as polished as I would like it to be, but if I redid it, then I would need another week or so to get it to where I like it. So I hope some of you like it at least :)

_Severus stumbled over a wet rock buried beneath the moss covering the ground. The fog lying wetly in the valley he walked through was dense enough to rival London’s best efforts. Having no idea what he was doing here, or where he was going, Severus followed his instincts, feeling like he was being drawn towards the other end of the valley. Fog-dampened grass flicked against his ankles, soaking through his socks and the bottom of his robes as he walked. Eventually he came to a clearing, the feeling of sudden openness surrounding him shocking his senses a little. Two pinpricks of red shone dully through the fog, pulling him onwards. It was not until he got close enough to be able to make out the vague shape of a body that he realised the pinpricks were eyes. The Dark Lord. He moved faster, needing to be closer to his Lord, stumbling a little in the fog. The mist cleared as he got closer to his Lord, showing him the dark, nebulous shape of the man to whom he owed everything. Severus fell to his knees in front of him, careless of the damp seeping in through his robes, head bowed in submission._

_“My Lord,” he intoned, eyes downcast._

_“Severus,” The Dark Lord hissed, his voice low and malicious. “You have been unfaithful.”_

_“Unfaithful, my Lord?” Severus questioned, raising his eyes fearfully, not knowing what exactly he was being accused of._

_“Yes, my friend: unfaithful. You have been... associating... with the wrong types of people. You have given your trust to the wrong person; placed your life in the wrong hands.” His red eyes flashed dangerously as he stared down at Severus, his long-fingered hands folded in front of him._

_It was then the sweet metallic smell of blood hit Severus’s nose, forcing away the clean scent of wet grass and dirt. He glanced down to the ground before The Dark Lord, watching as he waved a hand at the mists swirling around his feet, revealing a bloody lump wearing the black of the Hogwarts school robes. He looked back up at his Lord, uncomprehending. Why should he care if one of the students had been stupid enough to get themselves caught by the Death Eaters?_

_“Look closer, Severus.”_

_He glanced back down at the broken body in front of him, not really caring who it was, but obedient to his Lord. The fog cleared long enough for Severus to be able to make out a pair of beautiful green eyes._

“NO!” Severus sat up in bed, breathing hard, heart pounding in fear. He groped in the dark beside him, desperately seeking Harry’s warmth.

“Sev?” Harry’s voice was thick with sleep. “What’s wrong?”

Severus grabbed hold of the hand Harry extended, using it to find Harry’s face. He leant in close, hands exploring all over his mate, mind still wild with panic caused by the dream. How could he still be having these nightmares? Even better, _why_ was he still having them?

“Harry... alive... safe,” he muttered, unaware he was speaking aloud.

He moved down Harry’s body, starting with his feet and moving upwards, checking him carefully for any injury. Despite the fact that he could clearly see that all that had happened was that he had had another nightmare, his Veela was in a complete panic and needed the reassurance of making sure that Harry was safe. Harry seemed to sense that he needed to do this and stilled, allowing Severus to check him over. The only move he made was to reach out of the curtains surrounding their bed to grab his wand. He cast a dull _Lumos_ spell, just strong enough for Severus to be able to see his pale skin in the darkness. Severus ran his hands over Harry’s feet and calves, not missing an inch of skin as he moved up his body slowly. He was still muttering to himself in an attempt to calm his racing heart. He knew subconsciously that his mate was safe, that it had only been a nightmare, but the need to make sure Harry really was safe and in their bed was overwhelming. Harry let out a soft gasp as Severus reached his belly, massaging his hands into the swollen flesh. His panic finally beginning to subside, Severus placed a soft kiss just below Harry’s navel, eliciting a smile and quiet chuckle from Harry.

“Harry... safe,” he whispered, still incapable of verbalising much more than his mate’s safety.

“Safer than I ever have been before,” Harry whispered back, his hand coming up to rest at the back of Severus’s head.

Taking the offer, Severus leant in to capture his mate’s lips. His hands came up to cup Harry’s face, thumbs running over the smooth, dry skin of his cheeks. There was no smell of blood on the air here; no fog; no psychopathic murderer after his mate. He was safe, Harry was safe: it had just been a nightmare. Harry wrapped one arm around Severus’s shoulders, the other coming to rest across the small of his back, holding him close as he broke the kiss.

“Tell me.”

“No, I...” Severus shuddered at the thought of telling anyone of what he had dreamt, let alone Harry. His mate did not need to know he still had nightmares involving Voldemort, especially ones where he still felt a loyalty to him. He let his head fall to rest on Harry’s shoulder, needing the closeness.

“It’ll make you feel better and you know it.” There was a stubbornness to Harry’s voice that let Severus know that he was not going to get away with not telling him about the dream. “You’ve helped me through the nightmares I had after the War ended; let me help you.”

Taking a deep, stabilising breath, Severus raised his head from Harry’s shoulder to look him in the eyes. As always, Severus found sanctuary in Harry’s warm gaze and knew instinctively that he would not scare Harry by admitting his nightmares to him. He tried for calm as he began to speak, but knew he would never be able to fool his mate.

“I... It was Voldemort. I was walking through a valley towards him, almost as if I were being drawn to him. When I finally reached the place where he stood, I knelt in front of him, offering him the back of my neck in fucking submission,” he could feel the anger at his dream self building up inside his mind and attempted to move away from Harry’s embrace.

“Sev,” Harry tightened his grip on Severus, his voice annoyingly reasonable. “That isn’t what had you shaking in fear. Tell me what happened.”

“He killed you, Harry. You were dead at his feet.” His voice was low and harsh as he rested his forehead back against Harry’s shoulder. “I awoke as soon as I recognised what he was showing me, as soon as I saw...”

“It’s ok, Sev,” Harry ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to soothe him. “I’m right here and perfectly fine. I know nothing can hurt me when you’re with me.”

Severus raised his head at this last, staring down into Harry’s eyes. Today was New Year’s Eve; Severus left for Newcastle tomorrow night for the entire weekend. It would be the longest they had been separated since their bonding and Severus was not looking forward to it, despite the ring he wore that was infused with Harry’s magical signature. He could feel his heart rate slowing down, the anger and fear ebbing away as Harry’s fingers continued to thread through his hair. Leaning down to brush his lips against Harry’s, Severus forced the thoughts of the next night out of his mind.

“You sound incredibly sure of that.” _I am not baiting him_ , he told his conscience when it prickled at the words. _It is merely a statement of fact_.

“Of course I am, you twit. I know I wouldn’t have made it through even my first year if it hadn’t been for you saving me from Quirrell and that jinx.” Harry smiled, apparently at the memory, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “I’m alive today because I have you; because I had you back then even before either of us knew.”

Severus could feel Harry’s dopey-looking smile echoed on his own face as he stared down at him. It amused him that Harry considered the fact that they were bonded to mean that they were soul mates. The first time Harry had said the phrase, Severus had simply sat staring at him in dumbfounded confusion until Harry had leant forward to snap his fingers in front of his face. He had attempted to explain to Harry that the concept of ‘soul mates’ did not actually exist, at least not in the way the muggles meant it, but Harry had been so insistent that Severus had finally given up. It took a few months, but Severus had finally gotten used to the idea that Harry assumed that they were destined to be together in the way the muggles meant it: two souls fated to meet and fall in love in every incarnation. He did have to admit that deep down he found the idea appealing, but he would never acknowledge that openly.

“We should both try to get some more sleep, as we have a big day tomorrow.”

He knew that Harry tired out easily in this late stage of the pregnancy and wished to avoid exhausting him, just in case. They had chosen not to celebrate the New Year with everyone else this year because of this, but would be seeing the Weasley’s, Teddy and Andromeda the next day.

He had noticed over the past few months that it took less and less time for him to compose himself after having one of the nightmares he used to have regularly. Harry seemed to have had a calming effect on him, a side effect of their bond Severus had not expected. He had had nightmares about Voldemort for so long now that he had assumed that they were just to be a regular part of his life.

“Are you sure?” Harry gave him a look he apparently thought was alluring, but which just served to make him look confused.

Severus smiled and leant in to kiss his grinning mate. “Yes. Believe it or not, I actually do require a full night of sleep every now and then. I promise you can have everything you want in the morning, but you have to allow me to sleep first.”

“I guess I can wait,” Harry mock-sighed. “Although I don’t know how I’m going to sleep now.”

Severus smiled at the long-suffering tone in Harry’s voice as he rolled back over onto his back, taking Harry with him. He pulled Harry down until his head was resting on his shoulder and began to stroke down his spine. It only took a few minutes before Harry was snoring quietly, pressed close to Severus’s side. He reached over to where Harry’s wand rested on the other side of his pillow and silently extinguished the tip before settling down properly himself.

*~*

Severus was woken the next morning by Harry’s hot mouth surrounding him. He had thought it was a dream as he jolted upwards for the second time in a matter of hours, but as soon as he looked down and saw Harry’s messy head bobbing up and down in his lap he surrendered himself to the sensations. Lying back against his pillow again, Severus’s eyes slid closed, wanting to savour every single sensation Harry was creating, as this would be the last time for a few days he would feel his mate’s touch. His hips gave an involuntary thrust up into Harry’s mouth, causing Harry to chuckle around him, sending vibrations through to his core. He opened his eyes as he felt the warmth and friction leaving him, staring down at Harry a little blearily through the haze of lust and sleep still clinging to the edges of his vision.

“Harry?” His voice was croaky and contained more than a little pleading as he tried to work out what his mate was doing.

“Just relax, Sev. I have everything under control.” Harry grinned down at him as he sat up and began to move.

Severus blinked rapidly, clearing the last of the sleep from his mind as he saw Harry hovering above him, a wide smile on his face. He lowered himself slowly, guiding Severus in carefully. Severus’s breath hitched as he realised Harry must have had this planned out, as he neither got a sense of regret from him, nor saw a flash of pain as he stretched to take him in further. In fact, the only thing he could see on Harry’s face was a look of complete pleasure as he seated himself fully.

He sat still for a long time, causing Severus to have to force himself not to thrust up into him, impatient as he was for the friction he was craving. When Harry finally decided to move, it was not in the typical way Severus was used to. He watched in amazement as Harry rocked his hips back and forward, rather than raising and lowering himself as he usually did. The sensations it caused took Severus’s breath away in a loud rush of air. Harry grinned down at him as he slowly rocked back and forth, driving Severus mad with the tiny bits of friction he was being allowed to enjoy. He reached down to grab Harry’s hips in an attempt to quicken his pace, but Harry grasped his wrists before he could try.

“Uh-uh, be good,” Harry scolded him gently. “Let me have control.”

Severus felt a flutter from his Veela at Harry’s words, but suppressed it swiftly. There was no way he was going to allow his Veela to destroy whatever it was that Harry had planned for him, as it seemed as though it was going to be good.

“I’m actually being quite selfish at the moment aren’t I?” Harry puffed a few minutes later. “Enjoying the fullness of having you inside me, while you get nothing out of it.”

Severus stared up at him, mouth open and panting as Harry continued rocking his hips leisurely, not giving him enough friction to come, but just enough to drag his pleasure out unbelievably slowly. He took a deep breath, needing both to try to clear his head a little, and to verbalise what he was thinking. “Anything you want, Harry.”

“Freeze time right here,” Harry whispered, smiling down at him a little sadly. “This moment right now, I want it to last forever. I don’t want you to leave tonight, but I knew it would happen eventually. We can’t just stay here indefinitely; one or the other of us would wind up having to go somewhere overnight, but I was hoping it wouldn’t be for a while. Stupid and sappy of me, I know, but – Hey!”

The exclamation Harry let out as Severus gathered him in his arms and lay him down beside him turned into a whine as Severus slid out of him. He rearranged Harry so that he was lying with his back to him, Severus curled around his back, then slid gently back in.

“I never want to hear you expressing regret over a natural sentiment again, Harry,” he whispered as he continued Harry’s excruciatingly slow pace. “Every single person who has a creature Inheritance has the exact same base instincts: to stay safe and happy by their mate’s side. I do not wish to leave you anymore than you want me to, but we both know it has to be done for you to be completely accepted by your clan. What you are feeling is not stupid; it is a natural instinct.”

A sigh of contentment was the only response he got from Harry as he leant in to nibble at the join between his shoulder and neck. Severus increased his pace a little as he heard slight moans and whimpers from Harry with each movement. He pulled out and thrust back in swiftly a few times, feeling the relief rushing through him at the increased friction, before Harry reached back to grab his hip.

“Slow down,” he panted, holding tight to Severus’s hip. “Want to last.”

Severus grimaced, but obeyed. Forcing himself to thrust shallowly, he angled his hips so he rubbed against Harry’s prostate with each thrust. His hand reached around automatically to begin stroking Harry’s leaking cock, causing him to whimper again. Severus smiled as Harry’s neck arched, offering him a beautiful view of his pale skin, where he latched softly onto the thrumming pulse. He knew Harry was getting close without even focussing on the emotions coming through the bond, so he took the chance and quickened his pace again.

“God, yes,” Harry moaned raggedly, the hand on Severus’s hip tightening. “Please, Sev.”

Letting out a relieved breath, Severus focussed solely on bringing Harry to completion. Timing the stroking of his hand to the now-frantic jerking of his hips, Severus added a twist of his fingers as he reached the head of Harry’s cock, making Harry thrust into his motions. Biting down on his bottom lip as he heard the small noises that indicated Harry was about to come, Severus pressed a finger against his perineum, causing Harry to yell incomprehensively as his orgasm erupted out of him. The spasming of Harry’s channel around him dragged Severus’s own orgasm out longer than it would have normally, leaving him breathless and more than willing to just lie placidly beside his mate.

“Sev?” Harry recovered first, opening the curtains surrounding the bed and sliding out to move towards the bathroom. “We’ve only got an hour before we have to be in Diagon Alley.”

“Mmmph,” Severus mumbled into his pillow, unwilling to move.

“If I show up without you, Molly and Andromeda will most likely come here to drag you out,” Harry added with a hint of a laugh.

The thought of incurring the wrath of both Molly and Andromeda was enough to pull Severus out of the happy stupor he had slid into. He slipped out of bed after Harry and they managed to make it into Diagon Alley in time to arrive at the restaurant everyone had agreed to meet at that day just after the Weasley’s. He had brought the suitcase he was bringing with him to Newcastle, shrunk and stuffed into a pocket of his robes, as he was travelling straight there from the Alley that afternoon.

Spending the last few hours he would have with Harry for a few days being covered in baby drool from Teddy Lupin was not the way Severus had imagined it going. Harry, however, kept shooting him heated glances throughout the day, smiling every time Severus met his eyes. He had discovered that he was pretty good with babies, for someone who had literally had no permanent contact with a baby before in his life. At least, he thought he was not bad with him, considering he had not managed to either hurt or forget him anywhere. This realisation, however, did not stop him from palming Teddy off to whichever willing female was close by whenever he could. And with the entire Weasley clan once again out in force, there was no lack of females willing to bounce the bubbly baby in their laps. After passing Teddy off to Ginerva, who gurgled happily at him, Severus sought Harry out.

“Sev!” Harry called out as Severus made his way onto the balcony where he sat with the twins, Ron, Hermione and Charlie.

“Harry, please,” George moaned, his fingers massaging his temples. “Some of us had a big night last night.”

Severus smiled as he took the chair next to Harry. A quick glance around the table was all it took for him to see that Hermione was the only one besides he and Harry who was not suffering the after-effects of a hangover.

“Here, take a look at this. Fred and Ron created a new range of products for the Professors.” Harry grinned as he passed him a small box of items.

Severus glanced once around the table again before looking at the contents of the box. George and Charlie appeared to be much worse off than Fred and Ron, who both were up to holding a conversation, at least. He pulled out the first of the products, which appeared to be a normal quill. Turning it over in his hand, Severus examined it for tricks, waiting for it to turn into a chicken, but could not tell the difference between it and the regular one he used.

“Here, try writing with it,” Fred passed him a piece of parchment with a wide grin.

With the raise of an eyebrow, Severus very cautiously wrote out a sentence with the quill, slightly disappointed when nothing happened. He glanced back up to see Fred and Ron both watching him anxiously.

“Can’t work it out?” Ron asked nervously.

“If there is some sort of trick to this quill, I cannot see it,” Severus replied cautiously, half expecting it to blow up in his hand.

“Good. If you can’t tell the difference, that probably means no one else could,” Fred muttered before passing him another piece of parchment. “Now, try copying this out exactly.”

Severus looked down at the sentence written on the second piece of parchment, eyebrows knitted in confusion. An encouraging smile from Harry had him attempting to copy the sentence exactly, but he found he could not. No matter what he told his hand to write, the only thing it would copy out, over and over again, was ‘I am a cheat.’ He looked up at a smothered giggle from Hermione.

“An anti-cheating jinx?” Severus questioned, looking the quill over again carefully.

“Ron and Fred tweaked the original one,” Hermione supplied with a smile. “I’ve been considering my options for careers after I get out of school. I was thinking I might want to get into the Ministry, but now I don’t know. I have been thinking about maybe starting up something like a muggle stationary store in Hogsmeade after I graduate, at least for a few years, until we can afford to buy a house. This range Fred and Ron have created would be perfect, as there isn’t a stationary store in Hogsmeade, so every time a student needed something like a new quill, our store would be the only option. If the products are popular enough, we could franchise and move into one of the empty spaces in the Alley here. They’ve been working on some other products that would help the Professors rather than the students, so they can’t cheat or copy in class, or with their homework.”

Severus saw an embarrassed flush spread across both Harry and Ron’s faces at this last, confirming at least one of his suspicions from when they had both been students. They spent the rest of the afternoon testing out the new range of products very quietly, at George and Charlie’s request.

Severus and Harry said goodbye to the rest just after five that afternoon, making their way back to the room Harry was to spend the night in. Ron and Hermione had agreed to spend the weekend with Harry, just in case anything happened and they would be portkeying back there in the morning. Severus pulled Harry into a tight embrace as they came to a stop in front of the fireplace.

“I know some of them are pretty, Sev, but please don’t forget me,” Harry smiled sadly up at him as he nibbled at Severus’s bottom lip.

“Never,” Severus whispered as he leant down to kiss Harry, his hair falling down around his face, blocking out the rest of the room. “I love you, Harry.”

“Love you, too.”

There was a hitch in Harry’s voice that made Severus’s chest constrict painfully, but he pulled himself together, determined that he was going without making a fool of himself. He stepped out of the circle of Harry’s arms to grab a bit of floo powder. The last glimpse he had of his mate as he stepped into the fireplace was Harry standing with a sad smile, his arms wrapped protectively around his belly.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here they are. Since he has no Harry with him to make sarcastic remarks to, I've added in some of what Severus was thinking as he was re-introduced to the Elves. Hope y'all enjoy it!

The distance now separating him from his mate hit Severus the second he stumbled out of the floo into a dingy-looking pub in Newcastle. Staggering the few steps needed to rest his head against the cool brick wall in front of him, he closed his eyes and began trying to calm his panicked Veela. 

_Go back!_ He frowned, ignoring the impulse and thought set off by his Veela’s instincts. _Get to Harry; go back!_

They had both known that this first time being separated would be painful – that neither of their respective creatures would enjoy the experience – but they also knew that this was necessary and could serve to make life easier in the long run, especially if it turned out their children had a Wood Elf Inheritance. The fact that he could feel Harry’s distress in the back of his mind was not helping matters and Severus desperately hoped that Harry would have the sense to do as they had discussed and make his way back to Ron and Hermione rather than sitting and sulking in his room in the Leaky Cauldron. His nerves over the coming meeting and ceremony doubled as he realised he would actually reach the clan’s ancestral home in probably less than an hour. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, Severus focussed on the emotions coming down the bond, finding comfort in the connection with his mate, even if the bond was only showing him that Harry was miserable. Unconsciously twisting the ring on his finger, he forced himself to breathe normally, concentrating on the strong feeling of _Harry_ the ring gave him. The link gave Severus the boost he needed in order to calm his Veela enough to force it to the back of his mind. He was surprised to feel Harry calming down a little as soon as he got the Veela under control. Smiling a little as he opened his eyes, he realised that Harry must have been monitoring him as closely as he had been monitoring Harry.

Turning to lean his back against the brick wall, Severus finally took in his surroundings. He had exited into a small alcove, obviously a place reserved solely for floo travel as it contained only a fireplace. Pushing off the wall, he headed out into the pub proper. It was pretty much what he had expected of a hidden pub used mostly for the public floo connection: small, dark and dirty with a barman who looked as likely to murder you as serve you. Severus was forcibly reminded of the Hog’s Head, but soon realised that he was probably in more danger here than he had ever been in Hogsmeade. Dragging his eyes from the bar, Severus glanced over to the only other occupant of the small pub: a small, cheerful looking young Wood Elf. He recognised her immediately as the enthusiastic Healer who had shown Harry over to the bed on the first day of the tests they had run on him. He frowned slightly in an attempt to remember her name. _Lucinda_ , his memory supplied as she stood to greet him.

“Severus, hi! So good to see you again! How have you been? And Harry, too?”

Severus could hear the exclamation marks she was speaking in and had to force himself not to grimace. He had forgotten how animated she could be.

“Lucinda. We are both... as well as can be expected. And yourself?”

“Oh! This is your first time away from each other, isn’t it?” Severus really did not need the sympathy in her voice, but endured it, as she was his only way of being able to find the clan. “Hurts like a mother, right? First time I was away from _my_ mate I thought I was having a bloody heart attack! Oh, and you should probably call me Lucy: the only one who calls me Lucinda is my mother when she thinks I haven’t been in touch often enough. Anyway, there’s a room over there where you can change out of your robes, since the muggles’ll get suspicious, then we can get outta here!”

Severus turned in the direction she indicated and headed into another small room, just large enough for him to comfortably change his clothes. Catherine had told them that this would be different than the usual way bonding journeys are completed, in that Severus would have a guide to help him find the entrance to the clan’s ancestral home. She had told him that she would send a guide with whom he was familiar, and for that he was thankful, but he found himself wishing it could have been someone slightly less... bubbly. He changed out of his robes quickly, not wanting to waste much time, and moved back out into the pub.

Lucy was waiting by the door, her light blonde curls and pointed ears covered by a bright red wool hat. She had matched the colour of the hat with the red of her shiny boots. They both clashed horribly with the deep purple of her jeans and the mud-brown of the vest she wore over what appeared to be three different-coloured shirts. A pair of dark sunglasses obscured her glowing blue eyes. She pulled the collar of a heavy white coat up, but not before Severus had seen the faded pink scar from a claiming bite mark on her neck. He quickly averted his eyes as she glanced up at him, a small smile on her face.

“Ready to go? It’s not far; just down the street and around the corner.”

“Lead the way.” Severus pulled the collar of his own black coat up against the chill January weather and followed her outside.

The sun had set a while ago, leaving them to walk down the street in the gathering darkness. Severus turned back to see the door to the pub disappearing back into a brick wall in the side of what appeared to be a muggle pub. He looked back as he heard Lucy clear her throat.

“That’s the Cumberland Arms. Nice food, but it’s not really my style. See that bridge up there?” She indicated the large bridge off to her left. _I would have to be blind to miss it._ “Byker Bridge. That’s where we’re going. The entrance to our valley is hidden from muggles in one of the bridges they built. Poetic justice, if you ask me.” _I did not._ “Don’t really say much, do you?”

_You have not given me much opportunity._ “My loquaciousness depends entirely on the subject at hand.”

Lucy smiled broadly, shocking a small smile out of him in return. “Tell me about Harry.”

Severus blushed, realising she had hit on the exact thing that had been running through his mind since the second he had left the floo. Harry’s absence from his side felt like a hole had been opened up right in the middle of his chest. Taking a deep breath, Severus turned to see a warm smile on Lucy’s face.

“Oh, that is just adorable!” _What!?_ “Eight months on and just the thought of him still makes you blush! I miss being newly-bonded. Everything was so new and exciting! Not that I would trade him for anything, but we’ve settled down a lot since our first year. So, tell me, what’s he like? Harry, I mean.”

Severus watched her closely, attempting to see if she had any motives other than wanting to help him forget some of his nerves over the coming meeting. When he saw nothing besides mild interest in his answer, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Deciding she was not a threat, he let his mind wander over the time he had spent with Harry these past eight months.

“Harry... is the most impossibly stubborn person I have ever met. Once he gets an idea in that thick skull of his, attempting to change his mind is an unwise course of action. He is sarcastic and strong-willed and incredibly passionate about so many things and,” _I miss him so much right now._ He sighed. “I would currently be dead if not for him.”

Lucy sighed quietly beside him, a dreamy look crossing her face. “I can see what she meant about the strength of your bond now. You must have fallen incredibly hard for each other fairly early on with a bond like that.” _You have no idea._ “You know, I’ve met people who have the smallest amount of contact with their mate and leave it at that. I don’t know how they manage, but they just don’t want a permanent bond with someone else. It’d drive me nuts doing that. Anyway,” another broad smile was aimed up at Severus as Lucy stopped in front of one of the supports of the bridge she had indicated before. “Here we are!”

Severus glanced around, realising that they had not only walked along two whole streets, but also crossed a road large enough to require a roundabout without him even noticing. He frowned as he looked back at the concrete pylon in front of him. Surely the muggles could see them here? They were standing right beside the road, in clear view of everyone. He glanced down to see Lucy grinning up at him.

“There’s a spell surrounding the entire area here,” she explained. “You know how the muggles don’t notice when people run into Platform 9 ¾ despite the fact that they should be able to? Well, this is the same thing: the second we stepped onto the grass here, the enchantment took hold. No one can see us here unless they have magical blood.”

Severus took a few steps back, taking in the size of the pillar and the location. “The sheer logistics of setting up that set of spells in such a public place must have been... How did you even manage to get permission to use this site?”

“We were here before anyone else, that’s how. After the Romans left, we moved in and have had some form of clan here ever since.” Lucy grinned at the sceptical look Severus shot her. “Don’t believe me? Just ask Catherine: she’s the local history buff. But to do that, you might wanna actually go through the barrier.”

Severus spared a few seconds to wonder at how he had changed over the past few months: being spoken to like that by anyone, let alone a woman young enough for him to have taught, would have had him boiling over with anger a mere year ago. Now, he simply brushed her remarks off with a disdainful glance, causing her to smile at him again. _You are going soft in your old age, Severus._ Shaking his head a little, he stepped forward and glanced at the hand she offered him.

“Only people who already have the blessing of the Head, or who have Wood Elf blood can pass through, so you’ll have to hold on as we enter.” 

She seemed to have sensed his hesitation and he was incredibly thankful that she chose not to push. He was still receiving the impulse to go running back to Harry from his Veela, but it was dying down slowly as he relaxed further in Lucy’s company. He was unsure of how the Veela would react to him crossing into the Wood Elf clan’s home, but knew he could not stand out here all night. With one last glance to the pillar he was about to step into, Severus took the hand Lucy was offering and they crossed the barrier together.

The sight that greeted him on the other side took his breath away. They had entered a dense forest, the world outside disappearing as though it had never existed. The trees stood unnaturally high, with trunks that would take three men to encircle them. Hand carved staircases led up the trunks, twisting to follow the natural curve of the trees. Vine-covered huts began springing up about halfway up the trees, lit from the inside so the light shone out across the night, twinkling in the darkness. The forest floor was thick with shrubs and wildflowers, so many it could not have been natural growth. A pressed-clay path led down from the wooden platform they stood on, leading off to what appeared to be a small hut off in the distance. _Harry will love this._

“Severus, good to see you made it in one piece,” Catherine’s soft voice carried to him from the bottom of the short set of steps leading to the path in front of him. She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, a smile playing at the edges of her lips as she watched Lucy carefully.

“Oi, come on! I’m not quite as ditzy as you think I am,” Lucy grinned, moving to kiss Catherine on the cheek.

“I trust Lucinda did not give you too much trouble?” Catherine asked him, sending a shock of realisation through him.

Lucy’s words from earlier drifted through his mind as he took in the similarity between the two women before him. ‘The only one who calls me Lucinda is my mother.’

“No, no trouble at all, in fact,” he replied as he followed Lucy down the steps to greet Catherine properly.

“I am afraid she takes after her father more than me,” Catherine smiled up at him as they shook hands. “But that is neither here nor there. I would assume you would like to be shown where you are to stay while you are with us, so if you will follow me, I can show you around on the way.”

Severus stayed silent as he walked with Catherine, Lucy having moved off in the opposite direction as soon as Catherine had taken charge of him. The sheer scope of the valley was slightly overwhelming, especially when one took into consideration the fact that it had been hidden for so long that they would have had to have changed the locations of each of the entrances many times over as the muggles expanded outside. Focussing on Catherine’s words as the idea of bringing Harry here one day reawakened the pang of his absence once again, Severus realised she was giving him a brief history of the valley.

“Our clan has been here since the time of Hadrian and the Romans. Our records have him listed as quite a powerful wizard, who was on good terms with most magical creatures. As Wood Elves have always been quite secretive, we did not have much trouble from him, so the clan at the time allowed him and the rest of the wizarding world use of our land to build the end of his Wall. You can still see the remains now: the muggles have turned it into quite the tourist trap. It was not until the Norman Conquest that we had trouble from either muggles or wizards. Once the rest of the world had realised the strategic opportunities offered by the location, they all started moving in, taking over our ancestral lands and generally making a nuisance of themselves. Still, this was roughly 500 years before the Statute of Secrecy was forged, so we co-existed more or less peacefully with both the wizards and muggles.

“Once the Statute was signed, however, we had to make ourselves scarce, so to speak. We have many different entrances to our valley, but the one you used this evening is the ‘official’ one, used by those who have come to seek the blessing of the Head for their bond. The history lesson I have just given you forms part of the official ceremony, but since you are now already familiar with the general history of our clan, it will be unnecessary for us to go through it again tomorrow. And here we are: the quarters used by the visiting dominants on their bonding journey.”

Severus cast a surprised glance over to her, wondering why she would be willing to cut the ceremony down by as much as she had already. “Catherine –”

“Wait, please,” she held up a hand to quiet him. “I believe I know what you are about to ask, and I can tell you right now that there is absolutely no reason for you to go through with the entire formal ceremony. It is generally used so that the Head can get a sense of how strongly the dominant before them is bonded to the submissive. Some Elves in the past have assumed that what they have felt for someone is a true bond, but it turned out that it was nothing of the sort. It caused many problems when one of the two accidentally met their real mate and had to break the so-called bond they had formed. As I have personally witnessed the strength of the bond between you and Harry, I do not believe the full formal ceremony is necessary. What you have is a true bond, one of the strongest I have witnessed in quite a few years now. The full formal ceremony would be a waste of time, to put it frankly, as there is no reason for me to doubt that you are properly bonded.” She smiled at the slightly stunned look on his face before gently pushing him towards the door of the wooden hut in front of him. “Go on and take your rest; I know how tiring being away from your mate for the first time can be.”

More than willing to have some time to himself after absorbing that much information, Severus nodded and entered the hut. It was a simple design, with only four small rooms in total: a living room, a basic kitchenette along the back wall in front of him, with the bedroom and bathroom off to his left. He moved through the living room to the bedroom, having eaten already back in Diagon Alley. The room contained only a single bed and a small wardrobe, just large enough to carry what one person would need to bring with them for a stay of a few weeks. Placing his small suitcase at the end of the bed, he decided he would not bother to unpack it, as he would only be staying for three days.

A strong sense of loneliness rushed down the bond at that second, causing Severus to wonder if Harry had deliberately projected what he was feeling to him. Cautiously projecting his own misery at being on his own, Severus was relieved to feel a sense of welcome from Harry. It had never occurred to him that they would be able to almost communicate this way when they could not be together physically. Lying down on the bed fully dressed, Severus closed his eyes, focussing his full attention on the emotions flowing down the bond. He supposed he should not have been too surprised when the next sense he got was a rush of desire strong enough to mean only one thing: his mate was horny and wished for him to know.

He had no need to struggle to picture the scene that would have confronted him had he been in any position to take advantage of Harry’s current state: Harry lying back against the pillows of the small room above the Leaky Cauldron, the fingers of one hand stroking up his full cock, the other beckoning Severus over to the bed to join him. Smiling as he felt his own cock hardening at the image locked firmly in his mind, Severus stripped himself of his muggle clothing, tossing it down to land on the top of his suitcase before settling down on the soft bed again. It had been a long time since he had felt the need to satisfy himself in this way: during the days of the War, he had not felt the urge simply due to the fear and stress he had constantly lived under; he had bonded with Harry immediately following the War, meaning he had plenty of opportunities to ‘relieve’ himself, so to speak, practically every time he felt the need.

Running his hands down over his flat stomach, he avoided contact with his swelling erection, preferring to focus on what he was feeling from Harry. Letting out a shuddering breath as he got an intense flash of pure lust, Severus could not bite back a deep moan as he cupped his balls, swirling and tugging them gently as he felt the heated flames building up inside him. His other hand trailed through the coarse hairs surrounding his cock, teasing the moment before he allowed himself some sense of relief out as long as he could. A spark of impatience from Harry had him chuckling. Biting down on his lip, he trailed his fingers up the thick vein on the underside of his now-throbbing cock, sending pleasure lancing through him. Harry’s responding jolt of pleasure nearly had Severus losing his tightly held control. Holding onto an image of his mate lying naked beneath him, Severus gave in to his instincts, beginning to stroke his aching cock faster, desperately needing release. The pressure built up inside him swiftly as he massaged his swollen balls, bringing himself closer and closer to the sweet bliss he craved. He could feel Harry rapidly nearing orgasm; knew it would not be long before he came. His fingers slid through the copiously leaking pre-cum, spreading it over the head of his cock, mixing it in with the natural lubricant inherent to his Veela nature. He managed to hold on just long enough to feel Harry begin to come before his own release erupted out over his hand, stomach and chest. Still massaging his emptying balls, Severus stroked every last drop out, panting heavily.

Without thinking about what he was doing, Severus projected his complete satisfaction back to Harry. He smiled as the only response he got back was a sleepy sense of love and belonging. Cleaning up the mess with a wave of his hand, Severus slipped beneath the covers, wanting to get to sleep before the feeling of loss at Harry’s absence returned to chase away the current mindless happiness he felt.


	27. Chapter 27

Half waking the next morning, Severus automatically rolled over, instinctively reaching for Harry’s warmth. A sharp shock of surprise jolted him out of sleep properly when his hand only encountered the cold wooden wall of the hut he had spent the night in. Everything came rushing back immediately: where he was, why Harry was not with him and what the gaping, empty feeling in the middle of his chest was. It had been just over 12 hours since they had parted, but he was already missing Harry so much he felt sick with it. Lucy had been right: it felt almost as though he was going to have a heart attack if he did not have contact with his mate soon.

His muscles tensed as irrational anger at himself coursed through him. Sitting up, he mentally berated himself for his helplessness when it came to this one, single emotion. Subconsciously he knew that he was being ridiculous, that it was perfectly natural for him to be missing his mate, but he was unable to prevent the thought that since he could control everything that did not relate to Harry, he should be able to control this as well. It did not occur to him that his Veela instincts would never allow him to simply push his feelings for Harry aside; that he had already tried that once and had failed spectacularly.

He slumped forward, head in his hands, his mind a jumble of anger and frustration laced through with a creeping, sinuous trail of self-doubt. _Why_ could he not control this? It should not be this difficult to clear his mind of Harry: he had managed to hide his true loyalties from Voldemort, after all. For eighteen fucking years he had hidden his true feelings from the most dangerous Dark wizard to have ever lived and in all of a month, Harry had strutted merrily into his life and made him truly _feel_ for the first time in many years. One month and he had fallen so helplessly in love with Harry that all he could do was hold on and hope desperately that he would not be rejected; one fucking month. Harry had managed to break down the carefully constructed walls Severus had placed around himself, around his heart.

_No_ , he thought as he examined what he was feeling closely. _Not only did he break them down, he smashed through them so thoroughly that I cannot replace them. This is pathetic, truly and honestly pathetic. For 38 years you were perfectly fine on your own and now here you are, falling apart after less than one day away from him. If you do not get this under control, you risk letting it out against the wrong person and destroying everything your mate hopes could happen with the Elves in the future._

With an irritated grunt, Severus slid his hands down so he could rest his chin on top of them, closed his eyes and focussed on sending his Veela to the back of his mind, assuming it would be much easier to regain some semblance of control over himself without it constantly panicking over Harry’s absence. It took a little longer than usual, due to the state of pure panic and agitation his Veela was in, but he managed to drive it back far enough so that he could feel the panic receding and his heart rate slowing. Glancing over to the clock on the wall as he hauled himself out of bed and made for the bathroom, Severus felt a rush of gratitude that he had not managed to wake Harry with this ridiculous worry: the feelings coming down the bond were muted by the fuzziness he associated with sleep. He knew his mate needed all the rest he could get at this stage of his pregnancy and did not wish to be the reason he missed out.

Someone knocked gingerly on the door just as Severus was washing up from breakfast. He took a deep breath before answering. He had not managed to break himself out of the foul mood Harry’s absence had placed him in, but knew he could not take it out on anyone here, no matter how tempted he may be.

“Enter.”

“Good morning, Severus,” Lucy hesitantly murmured as she stuck her head around the slightly ajar door. “I, uh, was wondering if it would be alright if we ran through what will be happening at the ceremony this afternoon?”

Severus had to resist the urge to scowl at her cautious tone as he turned to face her. She was standing just inside the door, her clothing just as bright as it had been the day before, minus the wool hat this time, so her ears poked up through the curls at her temples. Eyeing him carefully, she offered a small smile as he indicated she should sit in one of the two chairs beside the fireplace.

“Whatever you wish,” he muttered, unable to prevent a slightly harsher tone than he normally would have. He swore profusely as she flinched. “I apologise, Lucy, I do not know what has put me in such a foul mood, but there is absolutely no reason for me to take it out on you.”

“No, no, it’s fine, really. The first time you’re away from your mate is always a horrible experience and it shows like this in many of us as well. Hell, I wound up transfiguring my mother into a hamster out of pure frustration when my husband left the first time.” Severus raised his eyebrows at the mental picture of the dignified Head of the clan as a hamster, a slight smile playing at the edges of his mouth. “Yeah, it was funny, until I had to change her back... Let’s just say she wasn’t too happy with me. Anyway, it’ll get much better after this first time; it shouldn’t hurt at all. Besides that, I was there when you Stunned Adrian, and I was thinking that I didn’t really want that to happen to me, so I might have been a little too cautious when I first came in.”

Adrian. Severus felt his top lip curl a little at the memory of what that bastard had almost managed to do to his bond with Harry. “What happened to him? Catherine mentioned she was going to punish him when you got back here.”

Lucy shifted in the chair, tucking her legs up beneath her and staring into the fire. “He found his mate just less than three months before we went off to Hogwarts. Mum spoke to the Head of his dominant’s clan and they came to an agreement after she told him what Adrian had tried to do. Trying to break up a bonded couple is one of the fundamental no-no’s that the clans came up with after the Civil Wars. So many people lost their bondmates during those Wars that the ones who were still together ran the risk of having their bonds broken in acts of revenge between clans. The Heads of the clans got together and came up with a set of Laws that applied across every single clan and the very first one they put into action stated that to attempt to break the bond between a couple who wish to be together was punishable by anything the Head of the clan could think of up to death. The only thing worse than breaking a bond is murder and that is the only crime punishable by death.”

Severus sat still for a long time, thinking over what he had just been told. A whole jumble of questions formed in his mind, each fighting to be the first to be voiced. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and asked the one thing that had been bothering him since Adrian had made his move in the hospital ward.

“Why me? What could possibly be so appealing about _me_ that he would risk everything to break our bond, especially in front of everyone?” He could completely understand someone risking everything to possess Harry, but what was so tempting about him was baffling. The fact that he had completely accepted that Harry wanted him just as much as he wanted Harry did not have any kind of impact on him this time: he and Harry were bonded, so it was a natural thing for Harry to desire him.

“Really?” Lucy turned a surprised look on him, then grinned as she obviously realised he was being serious. “Everyone knows you spent 18 years protecting Harry, you know. Even if it had nothing to do with a bond, you’ve still proven your ability to keep your submissive safe. Add onto that the fact that you’re apparently quite powerful and you make a highly attractive prospect as a mate for any unbonded submissive Wood Elf.”

“Even if that were true, why would he risk trying something like that in front of everyone? Surely it would have made more sense to try to convince Harry that I had been unfaithful than to try to tempt me away from Harry with a room full of witnesses.”

“You’ve never had a crush on a celebrity?”

“ _Harry_ is the celebrity in this relationship, not me.” He had always been intensely private and this bond had not changed that in the slightest: they had refused every single offer of interviews they had received from newspapers and magazines since the end of the War.

“Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure of that one,” she countered with a smirk. “You haven’t seen what they’ve been printing in the trashier magazines then? ‘Severus Snape: Hogwarts’ Golden-Hearted Bad Boy.’ ‘Who Will Be the First to Melt the Icy Exterior?’ ‘Could You Handle a Reformed Death Eater?’ ‘Draco Malfoy: When Scars Are Sexy.’ And those are just the tamer ones I’ve seen.”

Feeling the heat of a blush beginning to spread across his face, Severus ducked his head to allow his hair to obscure Lucy’s view of him. _That_ was not an answer he had expected from her; especially one so blunt and straightforward. Deciding to change the subject back to something that would not leave him flushed and embarrassed every few minutes, he cleared his throat as he raised his head again.

“So what have they done to him?”

The small smile that had been playing around Lucy’s lips faded at his question. “They have given his mate a necklace infused with his magical signature so he won’t suffer from withdrawal. Adrian has been locked away since we returned here from Hogwarts. They allow him contact with his mate once every two weeks to sustain him, but that’s it. They haven’t been allowed to seal the bond, and now that he knows what Adrian’s really like, the mate is thinking he might not be able to seal it properly anyway. You know it all depends on trust with us, right?” Severus nodded silently. “Well, Adrian’s mate doesn’t think he trusts him enough to be able to seal the bond. As long as he wears that necklace he’ll be alright; he’ll even not be able to feel Adrian Calling to him, due to the type of enchantment mum and the other Head have placed on the necklace. With the exception of having to go into the prison once every two weeks, it’s almost as though Adrian doesn’t even exist to him. They’ve effectively made him invisible to his mate.”

Severus cold not suppress a cold shiver at the thought of being locked away from Harry like that. The desperate _need_ he had felt to be near him every single second of the day had abated when they had finally managed to seal Harry’s bond, but what they had done to Adrian would be so much worse: feeling that same need to be with his mate, but knowing that his mate did not need him at all. It was one of the purest forms of torture he could imagine. He jumped as Lucy’s cheerful voice sounded next to him again.

“But that’s one of the reasons I’m here now: he was supposed to be a part of the ceremony this afternoon.” She held up a hand to silence his impending objection. “But since he’s such a douche, they’ve decided that I can take his place, since I’m apparently just as talented a Healer as he is.”

Shaking off the slight dread Adrian’s punishment had conjured up, Severus focussed completely on what Lucy was explaining, knowing that he would need to know everything perfectly for his own peace of mind, if nothing else. When she had finished telling him what was supposed to happen, she pulled a choice of robes out from a bag he had not noticed she had placed beside her chair.

“You can obviously keep the white shirt, but the rest has to be one of the formal robes that go along with the ceremony. Now, unfortunately for you, none of them are black.” She smirked again at the look he shot her. “But there are some here you might like.”

Nerves jangled through him as she reached into the bag to pull out three options for him to consider. The first was absolutely unacceptable: a garishly bright red that Lucy claimed would ‘reflect nicely and give you a red-ish tone to your hair.’ He dropped it over the arm of the chair with a disgusted look, causing Lucy to laugh quietly. The second choice she pulled out of the bag – a dark blue set without any kind of physical embellishments – would have been acceptable if the material had not been made with little silver moons dotted across it. As much as he had respected the man, Severus had absolutely no desire to start dressing like Dumbledore. Adding this one to the arm of the chair with the first, he requested the third, hoping it would not turn out to be pink. To his surprise, the set of robes she pulled out last was a deep green. The only thing he could find that was wrong with them was the addition of black lace to the cuffs, but as the only other alternatives were looking like a circus clown or his late boss, he thought he could overlook this small deficiency.

He stood staring at the set of robes after Lucy had taken her leave, wondering what Harry would have thought if he could have seen him dressed in something other than basic black and white. Shaking his head at the vaguely narcissistic thoughts that followed, Severus wandered back into the bedroom to wait out the hours before he had to appear at the ceremony.

*~*

His foul mood had returned full-force by the time Lucy arrived to escort him to what she called the ‘Formal Reception Area’ that was to be used for the ceremony. He supposed he should be thankful that they were not making him stand out in the chill January weather to get the blessing, as it seemed to him that there was an inordinate amount of people sitting outside, talking and laughing with each other. The path that they followed was lined with large bushes covered with flowers that were blooming out of season. He had spotted a number of blooms that he would have liked to have had a few samples of by the time they reached a small, squat building, painted a dull brown. His nerves jumped as Lucy stepped through the door to check that everything was ready for them to begin, which just fed into his rotten mood, causing him to scowl involuntarily. A rustle and a snapped twig behind him caused Severus to turn and stare into the thick clump of trees just behind and off to his right. When he spotted nothing out of the ordinary, he turned back, just in time for the door to open, with Lucy smiling up at him.

“Ok,” she took a deep breath and let it out, almost as though she were as nervous as he was. “Ready?”

“As I shall ever be,” he muttered to himself before offering her a fake smile. “Lead the way.”

The room he entered was brightly lit by torches hung along the wall in close intervals. Benches ran along the walls, which Lucy had explained were used when the full formal ceremony was required. The entire clan would show up to judge the dominant who had come for the blessing, offering up their opinions when asked by the Head. He knew that in the mood he was currently in he should be extremely thankful that Catherine had decided that she knew both he and Harry well enough to not warrant a formal ceremony, as he was fairly certain not one of the Wood Elves would believe him capable of treating anyone with anything other than contempt at this particular moment. Fighting to keep his bad mood from showing through, he followed quietly behind Lucy, who indicated he should stop just behind her with a slight movement of her hand as she halted in front of a raised platform.

“I come before the Head to present this dominant, who comes for your blessing for his bond with Harry James Potter,” she intoned, her usual cheerful tones muted in formality. “As Chief Healer present I can state conclusively that I have witnessed the strength of their bond and believe that neither has been coerced.”

Realisation shot through Severus at the words ‘Chief Healer present’. Lucy had said Adrian was meant to be a part of the ceremony, as he was one of their senior Healers, but they must have realised that that would have been an incredibly bad idea, so they had replaced him with Lucy. She had moved to stand beside her mother, a small, nervous smile playing at the edge of her mouth once again. He glanced up at her before taking his place, resisting the urge to smile at the wink she sent him. Moving up to the position Lucy had just vacated, Severus went down on one knee, his hands resting on the other and met Catherine’s shining green eyes.

“Who is it that comes before me to seek my blessing?” The formal tone to Catherine’s voice was belied by the delighted glint in her eyes.

“Severus Tobias Snape,” he responded in equally formal tones, feeling his bad mood lifting as he saw what looked very much like pride flash across Catherine’s features before she schooled them back into a blank mask.

“You are aware that by receiving my blessing for your bond here today you are verbally signing a magical contract between you and your mate. The contract requires you to swear that you shall love, trust and protect your mate to the best of your abilities. Are you willing to take this oath?”

“I am.” Severus had the suspicion that Harry was monitoring him closely: the emotions drifting down the bond had the same feel he associated with Harry concentrating on something intently.

He watched as Catherine turned to face Lucy, her lips twitching into an obviously reluctant smile. “Lucinda Wainwright, as Chief Healer present, do you declare before the Head of your clan that the bond between Severus and Harry is true?”

“I do so declare, in the full knowledge that by doing so I submit myself to the same Laws governing the contract forged here today.” Lucy was evidently not under the same impression as her mother that the occasion should be entirely formal, as she shot Severus a bright smile.

Catherine turned back to face him then, the look of pride back on her face. “Severus Tobias Snape, it has been decided that you are worthy to receive my official blessing as Head of the Newcastle upon Tyne clan. Rise and approach the dais.”

Taking a deep breath, Severus stood, knowing now that Harry was definitely monitoring him, as the flood of nerves he was feeling simply could not be his alone. He climbed the three steps to bring him onto the same level as Catherine and Lucy, wondering exactly what it was that she was going to do. The earthy-tones of the same kind of Wood Elf magic as the bonding magic Harry had produced crept over his skin, shining a bright green as it settled around him. Catherine waved her wand through the clouds of green in a complicated pattern, swirling it swiftly around him.

“Let it be known that Severus Tobias Snape has the full official blessing of the Head of the Newcastle upon Tyne clan of Wood Elves for his bond with Harry James Potter.” The magic darkened as some of it settled onto his skin, not quite seeping in, but simply resting there, as though waiting for a command. “And, if he will accept it, full membership in the clan from this day forth.”

Shock jolted through him at this last, sending his mind momentarily blank. Blinking rapidly through the haze of green magic, Severus glanced over to Lucy, who grinned and nodded at him, looking very much like a child watching a parent opening a present on Christmas day. He took a deep, hopefully calming breath before turning his full attention back to Catherine.

“I accept your generous offer gratefully,” he responded quietly, desperately hoping his voice would not hitch.

Catherine smiled broadly then, waving her wand in one last intricate sweep, settling the magic completely around him. His eyes drifted shut as it sank into his skin, sending shivers through him. Bowing his head, he breathed deeply as he felt his Veela rejoicing. A delighted stream of thankfulness and joy rushed down the bond, almost overwhelming anything else he was feeling himself, causing him to smile as he raised his head.

“Harry knows.”

“Yes, I thought he would be able to tell, with the strength of your bond,” Catherine smiled up at him before moving off the dais towards the door.

“You know,” Lucy whispered conspiratorially as she followed him off the dais to trail after Catherine. “She really is happy for you both; she just doesn’t like showing it too –” She broke off as they heard a muffled shriek from just outside the door.

Severus shoved Lucy behind him as they reached the door, keeping her out of the line of whatever it was that had apparently attacked Catherine. What confronted him on the packed clay path outside the Reception Area froze his blood. Catherine was being held with her hands behind her back by a wild-eyed and scruffy-looking Adrian, whose eyes were locked onto Severus.

“Has it been done? Is it official?”

Severus opened his mouth to cut the bastard down, but was forestalled by Lucy, who had stormed out of the building behind him at the sound of Adrian’s voice, a thunderous look on her face.

“For fuck’s sake Adrian! What the _fuck_ do you think you’re doing? You do realise who that is that you’ve grabbed, right? There’s no getting out of this one now, no hope of clemency at all after this. They’re going to cut what little privileges you have now, hell they might even cut your mate’s visiting rights!” She gasped in shock as he let out a scream of rage, threw Catherine to the ground before him and charged at her.

Severus reacted instinctively, hauling her out of the way and bringing his fist down into the other man’s face. Adrian collapsed immediately, body limp in unconsciousness and, judging by the _crack_ and spurts of blood now covering Severus’s hand, nose thoroughly broken. Severus had to resist the urge to smile as he felt the rest of his bad mood lift at the sight of the unconscious man in front of him. Muttering a cleaning charm on his hand, he knelt down beside Catherine, who looked slightly dazed.

“Go, Severus. Go to Harry, he would have sensed that. Use the floo in your room; I shall be in touch in a few days.” She attempted to push him off down the path, but he resisted.

“Harry is fine for the time being; I would know if he were in need of me. You, however, are going into shock,” he responded quietly, his mind already working through what he would need in the next few minutes. “Lucy, go alert your prison guards that they are missing a prisoner.”

Lucy nodded silently and ran off with one last glance to her mother, who gave her a slightly glazed smile. Severus pulled his wand out of the sleeve holster and Summoned a few of the flowers he had seen on the walk along the path, knowing that they were only a temporary measure to hold back the threatening shock, but they would do in a pinch. He grabbed a lump of wood that had fallen from one of the trees and transfigured it into a small cup, filling it with clean, fresh water with a silent Aguamenti. Mixing it in with the flowers as they arrived, Severus created a mild restorative draught that he knew would hold the shock at bay long enough for the proper Healers to be able to attend to Catherine.

“Thank you,” Catherine whispered as she sipped at the mixture, pulling a disgusted face at the taste. “I do not know how to make this up to you; I do not even know how he could have broken out.”

Severus smiled a little as he examined the red marks on her wrists. “There is no need to make it up to me; you have already granted me much more today than I would have ever expected. Let us call it even.” _Besides that, I am truly sick of bloody life debts!_

She smiled back as they heard the thumping footfalls indicating the arrival of the prison guards and Healers. “Go now; I am sure Harry will be worrying about you. I shall owl you in a few days.”

This time Severus took her up on her offer, standing just as the Healers arrived. He stood aside and moved around the group who had gathered around Adrian, whom he had left slumped in a heap on the ground. Just as he thought himself clear to make his way back to Harry, Lucy appeared and wrapped her arms around his middle in a tight hug.

“Thank you, I... Just thank you,” she smiled up at him, her eyes suspiciously bright before moving off to attend to her mother.

Shaking his head at the strange turn of events, Severus focussed his attention completely on his mate. Catherine had been right: Harry obviously knew something had happened, as his nerves were jumping with shocks of worry. Severus lengthened his strides, anticipation at seeing Harry a full day before they had expected making his blood pump faster through his veins.


	28. Chapter 28

Severus stepped out of the floo into his living room in Hogsmeade to find Ron and Hermione sitting on the lounge in front of the fire, eyes wide with surprise. Ron made a mad grab for the pieces of parchment he had been working off before they could go floating onto the floor. The book Hermione had been reading was not as lucky and fell to the floor as she stood up, flicking her eyes to the ceiling in the general direction of his and Harry’s bedroom. Severus could feel the sharp jabs of panic coming down the bond subsiding as Harry sensed that he had arrived back home in one piece. They gave way to a wave of mild impatience when Severus did not immediately come running upstairs to him.

“I – uh – Harry’s upstairs...” Severus bypassed the stuttering woman with a raise of an eyebrow, moving swiftly before she spoke again. “Is something wrong? I mean, we managed to get him to eat and drink, but all he’s been doing is sitting up there by himself and –”

“Hermione, the man’s just got home, let him go! Harry’ll take care of anything that’s wrong,” Ron interrupted her. “We’ll show ourselves out,” he added with a small smile to Severus, who nodded once before taking the stairs three at a time, oddly thankful that Ron of all people apparently understood his rather urgent need to be with his mate _right now._

A strange fluttering of nerves hit him as he grasped the handle of their bedroom door, causing him to pause briefly. The feelings coming down the bond were mostly mixed, so he had no real idea of what would greet him when he opened the door. Shaking his head to clear the nerves away, he turned the knob in his hand, pushing the door open to find Harry standing beside the bed, one hand resting on the swell of his belly, the other pressing into the small of his back. Severus’s breath left him in a rush as he took in the beautiful sight of his mate who, once he took a closer look, appeared to be mightily pissed off: his eyebrows were drawn together in a scowl, he was breathing heavily and his lips were pressed together in a tight line. However, it was not nerves that fluttered through his stomach as Harry slowly advanced on him, a mock-menacing glint in his eyes, but desire. The relief that had flooded down the bond when Severus had opened the door gave the lie to the threatening look Harry was attempting, but Severus decided to play along with whatever Harry had planned, curious as to where his mate would take this.

“I swear to God, Sev, if you ever scare me like that again...” Harry left the threat open as he grabbed Severus’s right hand. “What happened?”

Severus watched with mounting desire as Harry concentrated hard, a little line forming between his brows. The touch of Harry’s small amount of Veela magic tingled over his skin, Healing the cuts and bruises forming on his knuckles. His voice was rougher than usual as he answered. “I may have broken Adrian’s nose.”

Harry snorted a laugh that sent shivers through Severus, causing him to bite down on his lip to keep from pouncing on his mate there and then. Harry’s fingers travelled from Severus’s right hand over to grip his left forearm, a knowing look in his eyes as raging torrents of lust ripped through Severus’s veins, setting his nerve ends on fire. “Why?”

“Y-You believe I require a reason?” Severus paused as his voice shook, taking deep breaths in an attempt to control himself. Judging by the crashing waves of lust pouring down the bond, he knew Harry was not in a much better state right at that moment than he was himself, but decided to play along with his mate’s wishes, knowing from past experiences that delayed pleasure could sometimes be so much better than instant gratification. “He threatened Catherine and her daughter.”

Harry’s wicked grin flashed momentarily as he pushed Severus back up against the closed door, hands running down the buttons of his white shirt, undressing him the slow way. Severus raised trembling hands to pull the t-shirt over Harry’s head, exposing the pale flesh of his chest and swollen stomach. Anticipation raced through him at the sight of his mate half naked before him. Reaching around behind Harry as he stepped closer, Severus massaged a hand into Harry’s lower back, causing him to close his eyes and sigh with contentment, his hands stalled on the last few buttons.

“Hmm... Smart, brave, powerful and willing to rescue the damsel in distress. Not to mention sexy as hell... Anything else I should know about you now that we are ‘official’, Mr. Snape?” The raw hunger in his mate’s eyes hardened Severus completely as he leant forward to nip at Harry’s bottom lip.

“I am yours, Harry; totally, undeniably yours.”

Severus captured Harry’s lips as he opened his mouth to say something else, unable to resist any longer. The sweet taste of pumpkin juice invaded his senses as Harry opened for him immediately, their tongues tangling together in a practiced dance. A breathy moan escaped from Harry as he pressed himself as close as he could get, hands fumbling with the fly on Severus’s trousers, the half-open shirt completely forgotten. Smiling into the kiss, Severus waved a hand, Vanishing their clothing with a thought. The feeling of having Harry’s naked body beneath his hands was enough to wipe Severus’s mind of everything other than the need to be inside him, right now. Breaking the kiss, he cast a silent feather-light charm and scooped Harry up in his arms, carrying him over to their bed. He knelt on the edge of the bed after he laid Harry down, admiring the way the candlelight flickered over his mate’s pale skin. The odd tingle of the first part of his Veela’s transformation surprised him, although he knew it really should not have. Harry gasped as Severus released his wings and shook his lengthening hair out of the way. The desire flooding through the bond was strong enough to steal Severus’s breath away once again.

“Harry,” he breathed as he lay down beside him, trailing soft kisses along Harry’s jaw. He sent a hand down between Harry’s spread legs, ghosting his fingertips over the sensitive skin of his thighs, causing Harry to let out a breath in a hiss of anticipation. “Do you have any idea just how unbelievably irresistible you are?”

Severus pressed a finger inside his panting mate, chuckling as his head thrashed on the pillow in response. It still amazed him just how responsive Harry was in bed. As always, Harry’s moans and gasps sent hot jabs of lust dancing through Severus’s chest. Not knowing if Harry was responding to his question, or simply reacting to the added pressure of having his finger pressing inside him, Severus decided to play along with the game Harry had started.

“No? Perhaps I should remind you.” Severus leant in, pressing kisses up Harry’s neck and along his jaw again, but avoiding his lips. “Even before I fell so helplessly in love with you, it simply amazed me that I had managed to bond with one of the most desired men in the entire wizarding world. I always knew that there would be people out there who would want you; people who made much more appealing choices as prospective partners than I could ever hope to be. You see, before I realised that it was absolutely impossible for me to _not_ love you as deeply as I do now, there was always this constant need to be with you; this desire to fulfil every single wish you had. I came to realise that it had nothing to do with my Veela, or even your Wood Elf heritage; it was simply my own desire to show you how incredibly grateful I am that you _chose_ to be with me after everything that had happened between us in the past. The simple fact that you could have elected to reject me in the Shrieking Shack all those months ago and chosen someone better for yourself, but did not... In that one moment I knew I would spend the rest of my life devoted to making absolutely certain you would never want for anything ever again.”

“S-Sev, oh Gods that’s good,” Harry gasped as Severus added a second finger, thrusting them languidly. “It’d be impossible for me to find someone ‘better’ for me when you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted. You’re always talking about how many times I’ve ‘saved’ you, but you have to know that you really didn’t need it: good men hardly ever do.”

“Harry,” Severus began, not knowing what he was going to say, but feeling like he had to say something.

“No, Sev, don’t. Just listen to me for once. You were doing the right thing all along. Maybe sometimes you chose the wrong way to go about it, but everyone does that, that’s part of being human. The point is that you never really needed to be saved because there was nothing for you to be saved from. Everything you say I have saved you from over the past few months is what has made me love you so much; it’s all a part of you.” Harry reached up to trace a finger down the side of Severus’s face, sending thrilling little shivers straight through him. “You told me that there is absolutely nothing wrong with me once and now it’s my turn: you are perfect just as you are. I don’t want to change anything about you; I never have. Whatever it is you think you need saving from is part of what makes you you. And _you_ are exactly what I have always wanted. You’re my mate, Sev and there’s never been anyone else.” Harry’s voice trailed off in another hiss of pleasure as Severus added a third finger.

Everything that had happened between the two of them over the past eight months seemed to suddenly click into place as Severus leant in to kiss him deeply, his free hand brushing gently through Harry’s hair. Never having had anyone he could be completely open around, Severus had never considered the idea that Harry would not want to change him, knowing that there were aspects of his personality that were offensive to most people. He still automatically retreated behind his blank ‘public’ mask even when he was around Minerva, but with Harry he had been completely open and honest without even thinking about it and Harry had accepted him, heart and soul.

_Harry has never tried to change a thing about me. The only times he has ever objected to anything I have said or done has been when I shut him out, or when I have voiced my defects. Could he be right? Maybe everything I have seen as being ‘wrong’ with me is simply the way I was always supposed to be._

Harry was his perfect match, his ideal mate. They were stronger together; the past 24 hours had proven that to him conclusively. Not that there was any chance of him ever letting Harry go, but it was good to know that they were strong enough together to withstand any further attempts to break them apart, no matter where they came from. A sharp gasp and a jerk of Harry’s hips as his fingers rubbed against his prostate dragged Severus’s attention back to his mate.

“Gods, Sev, now, please?” Harry broke the kiss, arching into him as best he could, trying to take his fingers further into him with each jerk of his hips. “Please?”

Severus raised his head to see Harry’s eyes glowing in the darkness of the room. He traced a finger along the shell of his mate’s pointed ear, smiling as Harry groaned and writhed beneath him. The whine of loss Harry let out as Severus removed his fingers shot straight to Severus’s leaking cock, triggering an involuntary jerk of his hips as he rolled Harry over onto his side. His wings fluttered as he settled himself behind Harry, repositioning so they would not be crushed beneath them. Little electric jolts shot through him when Harry reached up and grabbed a handful of feathers as the top wing came to rest over them, threading his fingers through them swiftly.

“Shh, love,” he whispered in Harry’s ear as his palm brushed against his sac. “You are in safe hands.”

Severus smiled as Harry let out a soft chuckle. He pressed forward slowly at the same time as he trailed a fingernail up the underside of Harry’s twitching cock. Unable to hold back a quiet moan as Harry stretched around him, Severus wrapped his hand around Harry’s length, smoothing the drops of pre-cum over the swollen head.

“God, so good,” Harry moaned, pushing back, taking Severus in faster and deeper. “More.”

Severus obliged more than willingly, jerking his hips forward, burying himself deeper with a needy moan. His eyes drifted shut as he mouthed at the join between Harry’s neck and shoulder. With one last thrust, he was buried to the hilt, Harry’s tight passage stretching around him. It took a considerable amount of willpower to still his motions until Harry was ready for him, and Severus nibbled at Harry’s shoulder to distract himself. The pleasure running down the bond was building in strength, allowing Severus to judge just when Harry would begin to demand that he start moving. Trailing his fingers down the underside of Harry’s cock earned Severus a deep moan and he chuckled as Harry pressed back into him. Intense jolts of pleasure shot through him at the feeling of Harry thrusting his hips, dragging a ragged moan out of him. But Harry did not stop there: he pushed his hips back and forth a few times before getting into a rhythm. Severus pushed himself up onto his elbow so he could get a better look, watching in amazement as Harry slowly moved himself back and forth, pushing his erection through Severus’s hand on the forward thrust and taking him into himself when he pushed back. The feeling of sliding in and out of his mate without actually having to do anything always sent Severus speedily towards completion, but the added sensation of having Harry in his arms, rather than riding on top of him, disintegrated the rest of his tightly held control.

“Harry, wait,” he managed to gasp out. He was close – too close – and if Harry did not allow him to take control over their pace he was going to finish way too soon.

“Come for me, Sev. Need to feel you inside me right now.” Harry squeezed himself around Severus’s cock and ran his fingers through the feathers draped over them in just the way he knew would send him over the edge.

It was too much, the feelings too intense for Severus to be able to do anything other than to comply with Harry’s demand and he bit down gently on Harry’s shoulder as he felt himself starting to come. His hips jerked involuntarily as his body spasmed, shooting hot jets of cum into his writhing mate. Panting heavily, Severus clung to consciousness determinedly, fighting off the mindlessness that always followed such an intense orgasm. He pulled out and moved down Harry’s body, nibbling and kissing his way down his back. Rolling Harry over onto his back, Severus lay down on his stomach to lick a long stripe up the underside of Harry’s cock, causing him to moan loudly.

“Sev, I... Not long,” Harry managed to gasp out, lifting his legs to rest his knees on Severus’s shoulders as he knelt before him.

Severus smiled as he angled Harry’s cock towards him. Leaning in, he chased the trail of pre-cum with his tongue, following it to the swollen head. Taking Harry into his mouth swiftly, Severus sucked hard, knowing Harry was on the verge of coming judging by the strength of the emotions flooding down the bond. Three quick strokes with his hand had Harry arching into him, his orgasm surging through him with an intensity that shocked Severus as he felt the echoes down the bond. Massaging Harry’s side as he disentangled himself from his mate’s now-leaden legs, Severus moved sluggishly up to the top of the bed, finally allowing the afterglow to overtake him. He was greeted by a sleepy kiss from Harry as he rolled onto his side, murmuring happily. Severus smiled to himself as he cast a cleansing charm and pulled Harry’s back flush against him, his wings fluttering to a rest around them, feeling his own satisfaction echoed in Harry’s emotions.

*~*

“Sev, what is it with you and women?” Harry grumbled good-naturedly the next morning just as Severus was walking out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and a second one scrubbing through his wet hair. “They either go all protective and motherly over you, or they want to hex you. There’s really no middle ground.”

Severus froze, not knowing firstly what Harry was speaking about and secondly, exactly how to respond. “They have never really been my area of expertise, Potter, as I am sure even _you_ must have worked out by now.”

This earned him a glare as Harry waved a sheet of parchment at him. “This is from Lucy, the Wood Elf Healer you appear to have ‘accidentally’ charmed. She seems to really like you for some reason.”

“As do you, on occasion,” Severus mumbled back with a smirk.

Throwing the damp towel onto the bed, he grabbed the letter from Harry’s hands and sat down on the opposite side of the bed to read it. He had left his hair wet, knowing Harry would not be able to resist the urge to dry it for him. He had to stop himself from smirking as he heard a long-suffering sigh from his mate and felt the bed dip behind him.

“You know you could just use a drying charm on this, right?” Harry muttered as he brought the towel up to run it through the wet strands.

“As could you,” Severus responded, allowing a small smile to turn the edges of his lips up. Relaxing back into his mate’s touch, Severus settled in to read Lucy’s letter.

_Dear Harry and Severus,_

_My mother tells me that she’ll write an official letter to the two of you in a few days, but I wanted to let you know what had happened after you left yesterday, Severus._

_We got in touch with Lincoln, Adrian’s mate, after we had made certain that Adrian had been locked up securely this time. They gave me the ever-so-appealing opportunity to “hone my people skills”, as mum put it, by explaining to the poor guy what Adrian had done. He agreed that there was absolutely no way he was going to ever be able to seal the bond, so mum and the Head of his clan – he’s a half-blood whose family are from the Cardiff clan – have let him keep the necklace they charmed so he won’t ever feel Adrian calling to him, and he’s going to get on with his life as if he never met him. He mentioned that there’s a quite attractive young wizard whom he had been in a relationship with before he had met Adrian. He’s apparently just got out of Hogwarts this year, but Lincoln wouldn’t mention his name, because there’s been a bit of trouble with his family. Anyway, he’s gonna try and make things right with him again._

_What they’ve managed to come up with for Adrian’s punishment is almost the same as what he was going through before he flipped out, but this time it’ll feel worse for him. Since Lincoln wants nothing to do with him, they’ve charmed a ring with his magical signature, but they only allow Adrian to wear it for an hour once every two weeks. It’s enough to keep him alive, apparently, but not much else. He’ll be in constant mental pain without physical contact with his mate, but everyone seems to be under the impression that it’s just what he deserves, including his mate._

_So. There you have it. He has been punished to the fullest extent we can manage._

_On a brighter note: I hope it’s not too forward of me to ask that you let me know when the baby finally arrives? Mum says I shouldn’t ask, especially considering that I don’t really know either of you that well, but I was hoping that it wouldn’t seem too rude. I mean, all of your kids are going to be a part of this clan even if they don’t have an Inheritance, so we may as well treat them like that from the start, right?_

_Hoping to hear from you soon,_

_Lucy Wainwright._

Severus leant back into Harry’s arms, holding the letter up in front of him. “How exactly does this indicate that I have managed to ‘accidentally charm’ anyone?”

“You know, Sev, being a full 20 years younger than you, _I_ am supposed to be the naive one in this relationship,” Harry laughed against his neck.

Severus’s protest was muffled as Harry pressed their lips together. Breathing in the fresh, clean scent of Harry’s soap, Severus felt himself going lightheaded as his blood rushed south. Brushing his tongue against the roof of his mate’s mouth, Severus placed his hands over Harry’s as they wrapped around his middle, dragging the damp towel with them. A soft moan from deep in Harry’s chest let him know they were on the same page as Harry broke the kiss, panting slightly as he stared into Severus’s eyes.

“This letter may have been addressed to the both of us, but she’ll be your friend more than mine, I bet.”

“I shall just have to be on guard for hexes flying past my head when I piss her off?” Severus smiled as Harry’s cheerful laugh rang out, turning to see him moving to lie back against the pillows at the head of the bed.

“Exactly,” Harry laughed, beautiful green eyes shining with laughter and love. “Come here; show me how much you’ll miss me when you go back to work tomorrow.”

Both towels went flying onto the floor as Severus moved up the bed to kiss Harry deeply. Sinking down into Harry’s warm embrace, Severus rubbed a hand over the swell of his belly, enjoying the shivers of delight that ran through his mate at his touch. It had taken him nearly 39 years, but Severus had finally managed to find his family: a mate he loved and trusted completely, the first of what he hoped to be many children on the way, and an unbelievably loud and cheerful crowd of gingers who had apparently accepted their bond just as readily as Harry had himself. Breaking the kiss as he felt a rush of deliriously free joy down the bond, Severus smiled down at his mate.

“I love you, too,” he murmured before kissing Harry again; _his Harry._

_The End_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we have it. This is technically the end of the main part of the fic. I do have the birth and an epilogue planned, but I need to know something: **does anyone want to see a wedding chapter between the birth and the epilogue? **COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW!****


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments, apparently I'm writing a wedding now! :)

“Kreature,” Severus called, summoning the house-elf down to the living room where he stood, ready to leave for the day. “If Harry needs _anything_ , I want you to come and get me, do you understand? That includes if he goes into labour.”

Severus had learnt early on that if he was to give Kreature instructions, they had to be specific. Harry had loaned the house-elf for the day for Severus’s birthday almost a month ago, telling him that his birthday present was to have everything he wished after Severus had repeated over and over that all he wanted for his birthday was Harry. Severus had spent his 39th birthday being catered to by a house-elf whose idea of swift service meant that it would have been faster for Harry to waddle down to the kitchen and make the food himself. This, of course, left them time for Harry to fulfil some of the wishes Severus had. They had managed to nearly give the old house-elf a heart attack when he had finally finished gathering the food they had requested and apparated straight into their bedroom to find Master Harry riding Severus for all he was worth. Kreature had dropped the tray and popped back out of the room with a squeak, causing Harry to collapse laughing. After they had convinced Kreature not to go running back to Hogwarts and to simply knock before entering, Severus had asked Minerva if it would be alright if they kept him at least until Harry gave birth, knowing it would be best if Harry was not alone at this stage of the pregnancy.

“Setting my house-elf to spy on me, Sev?” Harry stood in the doorway, swaying a little, with his hands pressed to the small of his back. “That’s a bit low.”

“Just protecting what is mine, love,” Severus replied, moving to pull his mate into his arms.

Harry grinned up at him as he rocked forward into the embrace, wrapping his arms around Severus’s neck to pull him into a kiss. “I’ll be fine; we will be fine. I promise to send Kreature if I need you.”

Nerves flashed through Severus’s stomach, making him incredibly unwilling to leave. Brushing the backs of his fingers along Harry’s cheek, he smiled as he felt shivers running down Harry’s spine. He had no idea where the sudden feeling that he would be needed back here before the day was out had come from as Harry still had a few days before he was due, but it was a feeling Severus could not brush away, no matter how hard he tried. Leaning in to brush their lips together again in order to stall leaving one more time, he smiled as he felt desire flare in Harry.

“Not fair, Sev. Don’t start something you can’t fin – oh!” Harry’s words were cut off as Severus slid a hand down to cup him through the thin fabric of his boxers.

A quick glance up to the clock on the wall behind Harry told Severus that if he flooed into their quarters directly rather than apparating and walking through the grounds, he should have more than enough time to finish whatever he wished to start. Stepping back until his legs hit the arm of the lounge in front of the fire, he dragged Harry with him, a hand on the nape of his neck holding him steady. Harry stared down at him with lust-glazed eyes as Severus sat on the arm of the lounge, his legs spread wide. Pulling Harry down into a kiss, Severus slid his hand into the top of the boxers, smiling as he felt the crashing waves of desire flooding through his mate. He stroked Harry rapidly, timing the rhythm of his hand to the uncontrollable jerks of Harry’s hips. Tracing light patterns over the nape of Harry’s neck as well as pressing a finger against his perineum, Severus swallowed the deep moan Harry let out with a swipe of his tongue along the roof of his mouth. Coming in rapid surges, Harry rocked his hips into Severus’s hand until he began to soften, panting heavily. Severus withdrew his hand, preparing to catch Harry as he fell forward, but discovered he did not have to. 

Harry dropped to his knees in front of him, opening his flies and pulling his neglected cock out. He grinned as Severus stared down at him, the yearning he felt obviously evident in his eyes. Sucking his fingers into his mouth, Severus licked the cooling cum off them as Harry drew him into his hot mouth, driving all thought out of his mind. Harry hummed around him at the sight of Severus sucking on his own fingers. The vibrations brought Severus so close he grunted, thrusting into the heat surrounding him. He did not even attempt to hold on this time, allowing himself to reach his release much more rapidly than usual.

“Sev,” Harry whispered as Severus helped him to his feet, holding onto his forearms until he was sure Harry had his balance. “Don’t suppose I could convince you to stay here today, could I? You could have a three day weekend.”

Severus let out a sound that was part-laugh and part-groan, leaning forward so his forehead rested on Harry’s shoulder. He wanted nothing more than to spend the entire day lazing around the house with Harry, simply enjoying being together, and judging by the grin he was shooting him, Harry knew it. Summoning every ounce of willpower he had, Severus gently pushed Harry away from him and stood with a sigh.

“Harry –”

“I know, I know,” Harry sighed back, standing on his toes to place a soft kiss on Severus’s lips. “Go on then; go so you can come back.”

Smiling at the old-fashioned phrase, Severus tidied himself up and stepped into the floo, knowing that he would most likely end up in an incredibly bad mood by the end of the day due to his desire to be anywhere but stuck at the school.

*~*

Swooping through the dungeons with his robes flapping behind him, Severus smiled in satisfaction as a group of second-years scrambled to get out of his way. Harry had lowered the strength of their bond halfway through Severus’s first class after shooting a few quick flashes of worry his way after Severus’s good mood continued to disintegrate. Severus had managed to summon up enough guilt over his foul mood to project what he hoped Harry took as an apology just after the connection was lowered, but there was nothing he could do about it. It seemed to him that the students were determined to frustrate and anger him more than usual with their exploding potions and melting cauldrons. Frowning as he received a particularly strong sense of worry down the connection, Severus entered the Great Hall through the Professor’s entrance to take a seat beside Minerva.

“Minerva, is there not a thing you can do to shut your bloody house up?” Severus muttered as a particularly loud surge of noise came from the Gryffindor table.

“My ex-house you mean, Severus?” Minerva glanced over with a smirk. “It is not up to me to take control of them anymore, as you well know. That honour has passed onto –”

Severus looked up with a scowl as Minerva stopped mid-sentence. She appeared to be staring at some kind of commotion coming from down near the Hufflepuff table. Severus ignored it, not caring what was happening if it had nothing to do with his own Slytherins. Determinedly paying no attention as the noise level increased, Severus did not notice the house-elf until it had climbed up onto the table in front of him, knocking over a jug of pumpkin juice. Shoving his chair back in disgust, Severus was about to grab the wretched thing and strangle it when it suddenly registered just which house-elf was staring up at him.

“Kreature,” he gasped, feeling his stomach drop down into his toes. “What – Is Harry...?”

“In labour, Master Severus,” Kreature rasped out with a shaky bow. “He told Kreature not to come too soon, that he could hold out until Master Severus came back on his own, but Kreature is obeying his instructions from this morning. Master Harry requires you _now_ , Sir.”

With a quick glance to Minerva to see if she had heard what Kreature had said, Severus grasped hold of the house-elf’s thin hand and allowed him to apparate them out of the school. Staggering a little as they landed in the living room in Hogsmeade, Severus was hit suddenly with the reason he never allowed himself to sidealong with _anyone_ as he felt his stomach lurch. Ignoring his own nausea, he hit the stairs running, following the strong sense of _Harry_ to their bedroom. Throwing the door open, he found Harry doubled over on the edge of their bed, his arms wrapped around his stomach.

“Harry,” he gasped, rushing to kneel down in front of his panting mate. This was wrong: early labour should not be this painful. “Come on, love, talk to me.”

“Back has been hurting for a while now,” Harry panted out, looking up into Severus’s face with pain-glazed eyes. “Thought it was just normal aches. Need hospital _right now_.”

Summoning the portkey the hospital had given them the last time they had gone for a check-up, Severus stood, adrenalin lending him the strength to lift Harry securely into his arms. Harry grasped the front of Severus’s robes tightly, his whole body tensing as a contraction began. Severus waited it out, counting the seconds until Harry let out a breath and relaxed. _60 seconds! Cutting it a bit close._ He activated the portkey with a thought, holding Harry tightly as it jerked them away.

“Hello, Mr... Oh! Let me get the Healer!” A young nurse scurried away as they landed in the maternity ward, sending a wheelchair rolling over to them with a flick of her wand.

Severus knelt down, placing Harry gently into the chair, apprehension and fear creeping through his veins. Leaving it too long could cause serious harm to Harry’s body; not death, but he ran the risk of never being able to conceive again. Harry’s own fear rushed through to him as he opened their bond back up slowly, causing goosebumps to rise on Severus’s arms.

“I’m scared, Sev. I – I’m not sure I can do this; it’s too much.”

Severus’s chest ached at the desperation in Harry’s wide eyes. Leaning in close to rest his forehead against Harry’s, he smiled as Harry grabbed one of his hands in his. “You defeated the greatest Dark Lord of all time, Potter; I am sure you can do this as well.”

“I cast a bloody curse at him; I didn’t push him out of me! There’s a little bit of a difference!”

“And you shall not be pushing anything out of you this time, either. As I understand it –”

Harry gripped the front of Severus’s robes and dragged him close as another contraction hit. “I’m going to fucking well finish the job Nagini couldn’t if you don’t stop!”

“Ah, Harry, Severus, I was wondering if I would be the one on duty when you came in,” the cheerful voice of Dr. Morgan, the man they had seen every time they had come into St. Mungo’s, sounded from across the room. “Nurse Jackson tells me you are very near your delivery time, Harry.”

Harry nodded his head quickly, panting heavily. Breaking Harry’s grip on his robes, Severus stood, biting down hard on his tongue as the bones in his fingers ground together in Harry’s clenched fist. Relief came when the contraction ended about a minute later and Harry released him. Severus stared down at his mutilated fingers, slightly shocked when he felt the touch of Healing magic. He glanced up to see a small smile on the face of the nurse who had fetched Dr. Morgan. Nodding his thanks as she took hold of the handles of the wheelchair, pushing it towards one of the birthing suites, Severus followed closely behind, flexing the fingers experimentally.

“Why did you not come sooner?” Dr. Morgan got straight to the point as he moved Harry onto the bed.

“He did not tell me he was in labour. The bond senses _emotions_ , not physical pain,” Severus snapped when the Healer levelled him with a disbelieving look. “The timing will not cause complications, will it?”

“Not at this stage, it shouldn’t. Another hour or two and it would have, though.” The Healer's attention was grabbed as the rest of his team strode into the room, bringing the needed instruments with them. “Stand back behind him, Severus; he will need your support through this.”

Silently obeying the Healer's orders, Severus moved so he was standing just off to Harry’s left as another nurse sat the bed up a little. Harry grabbed his fingers again as another contraction started, groaning and squirming on the bed. He appeared to be mumbling something, which Severus leant in closer to try to make out.

“I’m going to hex your fucking balls off, you bastard,” Harry ground out, glaring up at him. “There’s contraception spells you could have cast, I know there is!”

Severus leant back again with a slightly shamed expression: he had thought something along those lines many times over the past nine months, but he had been too lost in the moment of finally being with his mate to have thought of contraception. Glancing up at a quiet laugh from one of the nurses as she placed a screen across Harry’s chest, blocking their view of his stomach, Severus gave her a questioning look.

“Don’t worry too much about what he says when a contraction hits: they all threaten to kill the fathers,” she offered him a small smile before moving back down to join the rest of the team.

“I’m sorry, Sev,” Harry panted out a few seconds later. “I don’t really...”

Harry’s voice trailed off as Severus’s free hand ghosted over the nape of his neck. The touch was meant this time to be one of reassurance and it seemed to calm Harry down a little. Severus had been worried for a while now about the method used for men to give birth, as it sounded way too close to the muggle caesarean section. Every single Healer he had spoken to had tried to reassure him that the wizarding method was much safer, but they still sounded the same to him: cut the person open and take the baby out before Healing them. Running his free hand through Harry’s sweat-soaked hair in an attempt to calm him a little as fear rocketed through his body, Severus held his breath as Dr. Morgan began the procedure. Harry crushed Severus’s fingers, panting heavily as sharp jabs of panic rushed down the bond.

“Talk to me, Sev.”

Severus stared down at his mate in disbelief, wondering exactly what Harry expected him to say. Harry’s wide eyes showed how scared he was and Severus wished there really was something he could say or do to take that fear away, but knew this was something Harry had to experience if he truly wanted the family he had always claimed to want. Calling upon as much calming energy as he could summon in his current situation, he projected it down the bond, hoping Harry would not be too overcome with fear that he could not calm himself. His Veela made itself known, pulsing in the back of his mind and Severus gave it free reign, allowing it to attempt to calm his mate.

“Harry, I need you to listen to me very carefully, ok?” Severus had no real idea of what he was going to say to calm his mate down, but trusted to his Veela to prompt him properly. Running his free hand through the messy, sweat-soaked hair, he leant in close to Harry’s ear, his voice pitched low, forcing Harry to focus carefully in order to hear him. “Dr. Morgan is nearly done, love. When he tells you to, all you shall have to do is push and then it will all be over. Just a single push and that is it.”

“Sev,” Harry turned eyes dilated with fear to him. “What if –” He trailed off with a gasp as Dr. Morgan’s voice sounded from the end of the bed.

“I need you to push, Harry,” Dr. Morgan was saying from behind the screen. “You’re almost there; all I need is one big push.”

Harry’s head thrashed wildly on the pillow, sending drops of sweat flying. “I can’t... I’m sorry, I can’t... Too much, too much.”

Severus reacted instinctively: allowing his Veela out and turning his eyes silvery, eliciting a gasp from not only Harry, but a few of the nurses as well. He only allowed his eyes to change, knowing that was all Harry would need to see. Grasping Harry’s chin so he could look deeply into his eyes, Severus brushed his lips against Harry’s softly. “You know I love you?”

“Yes,” Harry gasped, confusion flowing down the bond.

“And you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Push,” Severus clenched his fingers around the ones surrounding his own, slightly surprised that he could still move them. “It will all be over in a few seconds, I promise.”

Staring up into his eyes, Harry took a deep breath and nodded. With a final grunt and squeeze of his fingers, Severus heard the most breathtaking sound he could imagine: the wails of the baby as the nurse cleaned it and wrapped it in a blanket. Glancing down to see tears in his mate’s eyes, Severus released a breath in a sharp huff, automatically leaning down to brush their lips together softly.

“Go, Sev, go meet the baby,” Harry whispered as he released his grip on Severus’s fingers.

Straightening up, Severus sent a thankful glance over to the nurse as she once again cast a Healing charm over him, fixing what felt very much like broken fingers. He turned and moved over to where a second nurse was standing with the squirming bundle wrapped in a white blanket. The nurse gave him a slightly stunned look before recovering herself and offering a bright smile.

“Congratulations, Mr. Snape, you have a healthy baby girl.”

Severus stared in wonder at the tiny human in his arms, her shock of black hair standing out against the white of the blanket. Wide blue eyes stared right back at him as she worked an arm free and waved it at him. A sharp shock of relief shot through him when he realised she looked more like Harry than him: the less children in the world who had to put up with having a nose like his the better, he felt.

“Lily,” he whispered in awe as she gurgled up at him, tiny fist balled and waving through the air.

The emotions running down the bond were so mixed he had no idea which of them was feeling more relief than the other, but as he turned to face Harry it all cleared up into a steady stream of love and happiness so strong it nearly made him weak-kneed. The Healer and Medi Witches had cleaned and Healed Harry and silently slipped out of the room while Severus had stood staring in wonder at his daughter, which he was thankful for, as this was a moment that should only be shared between he and Harry. Moving carefully over to the bed, Severus smiled down at Harry as he reached towards them.

“You did it, love; she’s perfect,” he whispered, his voice rough, as he placed the baby in Harry’s waiting arms.

“She? A daughter? We have... we have a daughter,” Harry murmured, tears flowing freely down his face. “Why are her eyes blue?”

Severus smiled at the inanity of the question. “I had the feeling you were not paying attention when they explained this the last time we were here.”

“How could I with your hand on my arse?”

“Ah, language, Potter; there’s an impressionable child in your arms.”

“You...” Severus smiled as Harry pulled him down into a bruising kiss. “You’re so bloody lucky I love you, you git.”

“I know,” he could not help responding against Harry’s lips.

Harry sobered immediately, staring up into Severus’s eyes. Severus shivered as his fingers traced a path along his jaw. “My family.”

Severus’s Veela stirred in the back of his mind, sending shocks of joy through him at Harry’s words. “You are not too disappointed that she is a girl?”

“How could I be? I mean, just look at her: she’s absolutely perfect. I think she’s got your hair.”

“And, thankfully, everything else is yours.” 

“So they’ll change colour as she gets older?” Harry changed the subject abruptly, the emotions running down the bond indicating that he did not want this moment to be overly-sentimental.

“In the next few months,” Severus supplied, still smiling down at his mate.

Running his hand through Harry’s damp hair, Severus could not resist the urge to bend down and brush his lips over his forehead. It took a while, but eventually his eyes changed back to their normal black. Harry had apparently noticed the gasps some of the nurses had given when Severus had allowed his Veela out and spent some time teasing him that he would have them fawning all over him in an attempt to get him to change them silvery again. Severus allowed Harry his jokes, knowing he meant nothing by it other than as a release of all the pent-up tension. They stayed in the birthing suite playing with Lily’s tiny fingers and toes until the nurse came back in to inform them the private room they had booked was ready. When Severus refused to be moved into a room reserved for the family of the patients, Dr. Morgan overruled the objecting nurse and transfigured a lounge into a low bed so he would not have to leave his mate and daughter for the night.

*~*

“Harry,” Severus murmured quietly the next morning, not wanting to startle Lily. “Why did you tell Kreature not to come get me straight away yesterday?”

The question had been nagging at him all night, although he did not know why. He had transfigured the bed back into a lounge after he had woken that morning, knowing that they would have visitors as soon as they were allowed in. Sitting carefully on the edge of the hospital bed, he watched as Harry fed Lily a special formula for newborns from a hospital bottle, his eyes alight with joy as she suckled noisily. Severus could sense a heavy exhaustion lurking beneath the unbelievably strong happiness in Harry’s emotions, and wondered how long it would take before his stubborn mate decided to get a full night’s sleep, as he had insisted on getting up each time Lily had made a noise the night before.

“Because I knew the contractions could have been those fake ones... what do they call them? Braxton Hicks? I let him go as soon as my water broke, though.” Harry smiled up at him, looking as though he were expecting Severus to congratulate him on his quick thinking.

“Harry,” once again it was more of a sigh than an actual word. “It did not occur to you that having your mate there would have made it all much easier to bear?”

“I – er – no,” Harry mumbled, staring intently down at Lily as she sucked on the bottle. “Next time, I swear.”

Severus could not resist a smile as Harry looked at him through his lashes, a small smile playing at the edge of his mouth. “‘Next time’ we shall be more prepared.”

Butterflies raced through Severus’s stomach as Harry shot him a dopey grin. Glancing down at their daughter, Severus watched as her arms and legs flailed wildly, kicking the blanket draped over her off onto the bed. He reached to trace a finger through her shock of jet black hair, surprise rushing through him as she stilled at his touch.

“Looks like I’m not the only one you can calm down with a touch, Sev.”

There was a soft knock at the door before Severus could respond to Harry’s statement. He stood to answer it, almost grateful that he did not have to make a reply to what Harry had said, as it would have dragged them into territory that he would have been uncomfortable showing around whomever it was that had arrived. Opening the door, Severus was shocked to be knocked back by what appeared to be a small, blonde whirlwind dressed in bright colours.

“Severus, you’re a daddy!” Lucy leant back from the hug she had forced him into to drag him down to place a kiss on his cheek. “Congratulations!”

Severus glared over at his mate when he felt him struggling not to laugh before turning to greet Catherine, who had followed Lucy into the room.

“I fear I must apologise for my daughter’s presumptions,” she greeted him with a small smile as she shook his hand.

“I have been assured by reliable sources that I shall have to get used to things like that,” Severus responded as he spotted Arthur Weasley making his way into the room behind Catherine. “Come on in and meet Lily.”

“Oh, my God, she is just _precious!_ Harry, she looks just like you!” Lucy was exclaiming over by the bed, her eyes misty. “Lily, did you say? That’s beautiful... Can I?”

Severus watched as Harry carefully handed Lily over, showing Lucy how to hold her properly so her head would be supported. Hermione, Ginny and Fleur had joined them, all smiling and chattering as they fawned over the baby. He jumped as he felt a hand on his sleeve. Glancing down to see Molly standing next to him, Severus looked around the room to see that all the Weasleys had shown up to meet the newest addition, except for Charlie, whom Severus assumed had gone back to work.

“Congratulations,” Molly smiled softly up at him. “How’s Harry doing? Was it an easy birth?”

Allowing himself to be drawn into conversation with Molly, Arthur, Catherine, Minerva and Hagrid, who had walked in after the Weasleys, Severus explained what had happened, and that by the time they had arrived it had nearly been time for Harry to give birth. Molly exclaimed over how close it had been and proceeded to horrify every male within hearing distance with tales of the births of her own children, including descriptions of anything that had gone wrong. Severus felt it fairly safe to leave and join the group surrounding Harry and Lily when Catherine joined in on the stories.

“We shall be giving ‘er a leetle friend to play with in three months,” Fleur was saying as Severus moved up to stand beside the top of the bed beside Harry. “Zey will grow up togezzer.”

“Oh, Ron, look at her tiny fingers,” Hermione crooned as she rocked Lily in her arms.

Ron, for his part, looked incredibly apprehensive staring at the wistful look in Hermione’s eyes. “Ah, yeah, Hermione, it would be a little weird if she didn’t have any.”

“Oh, ickle Ronnie looks a little sick,” one of the twins – Severus could not tell which as he could not see which one was missing an ear – sniggered with a mad grin to the other.

Severus offered Harry a small smile as he sat up and leant his back against Severus’s chest. The feeling of complete and utter contentment that he got from his mate down the bond was enough to override any apprehensions Severus would normally feel at such a display in front of a large number of people. Harry’s happiness right at this moment was what mattered most to him, considering what Harry had managed to give him less than a day before. Just before lunch arrived, along with the nurse to kick out the visitors, Harry allowed the exhaustion that had been building up in him to finally take him over, snuggling into Severus’s collarbone with a satisfied sigh and promptly falling asleep.

“I guess we should take the hint, huh?” Bill Weasley chuckled as he watched Harry drifting off.

“Yes, we should let the poor boy rest,” Minerva smiled up at Severus as he gathered Harry gently in his arms to lay him down properly. “Congratulations once again, Severus, she is absolutely gorgeous. Tell Harry goodbye for me when he wakes.”

Turning to follow them out into the hall, Severus accepted congratulations again from each of them again before taking Lily from Molly’s arms. She stood by him for a few seconds, brushing her fingers lightly through Lily’s hair, a small smile on her face. Severus waited until the rest of the well-wishers had moved off down the hallway a little before speaking, sensing that she would like to have a word with him in private.

“Molly, is something wrong?”

“No, not wrong, exactly,” she sighed before finally meeting his eyes. “You know we consider Harry a son, right?”

His mind flashing back to the lecture he had endured a few months back, Severus fought back a smile as he acknowledged her statement.

“Well, that would make Lily...” She trailed off, looking uncertain.

“Your granddaughter,” Severus supplied the logical answer, unsure what her confusion was over.

Molly’s hand rose to cover her mouth as she made a strange gasping noise. Her voice was just above a whisper as she spoke. “Thank-you for... Oh, I’m not even sure anymore. Accepting my sometimes insane family, for treating Harry with the love and care he deserves, for just...” she brushed her hand through Lily’s hair again, tears gathering in her eyes. “Everything.”

Severus fought back a frown of confusion as she bent to kiss Lily on the forehead and squeezed his arm, still smiling up at him. She did not seem to require a response, as she moved swiftly off down the hall, yelling at George for trying to smuggle some tablets off one of the nurse’s trolleys. Shaking his head in slight disbelief, Severus watched as the group moved off down the hallway, chattering noisily.

Harry was watching him blearily when he moved silently back into the room, Lily cradled securely in his arms. The butterflies returned when he saw the tired smile Harry offered up as he made his way back to the side of the bed. Harry grabbed his wand from the bedside table and waved it over the bed, widening it enough for the two of them be comfortable.

“Come here,” he reached his hand out with a smile.

Lying Lily down gently beside Harry, who had turned onto his side, Severus carefully settled himself down on the bed as well. Propped on his side with Lily yawning between them, Severus watched as Harry lost his battle with the fatigue that had been threatening to take him over all morning. Lily followed soon after, leaving Severus to watch over them as they slept peacefully.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so here's the wedding! If you squint really hard, you can see hints at a possible sequel I'm most likely writing after this finishes. :)

TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER

“She’s finally down for the night, I think,” Harry sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily beneath his glasses as he closed their bedroom door and leant back against it.

Severus smiled as he put his book aside and opened his arms. Harry took the silent invitation, crossing the room and falling face down on top of Severus, his nose buried into the crook of Severus’s neck. Letting out a grunt as Harry landed on top of him, Severus wrapped his arms securely around him, sensing Harry’s need for the close contact before he could voice it. He was rewarded with a quiet sigh of contentment against his neck. Running his hands down Harry’s sides, Severus let out a sigh of his own, admiring the work Harry had put in since giving birth to Lily. He had filled out nicely; his shoulders had broadened and he had gotten back into Quidditch shape by playing pick-up games against Ron and the twins every weekend. Harry’s muscles tensed under Severus’s fingers as he ran them up his spine, sending shivers through him. He raised an eyebrow when Harry shoved himself up on his elbows to look down at him.

“She’s way too excited about tomorrow, but I don’t even know if she knows what’s going on.”

Severus watched Harry’s lips moving, thinking more of what he could be doing to those lips rather than worrying about whether Lily knew the significance of their wedding tomorrow. “Despite the fact that she does appear to be highly intelligent for a two year old, I really doubt she is capable of grasping the concept of what is happening tomorrow. I doubt she has looked beyond the idea of being allowed to wear a frilly dress and walk down the aisle.”

“‘Highly intelligent for a two year old’? Don’t you think you might be a little biased, Sev?” Harry grinned as Severus’s hands moved down his body to cup his arse.

“Of course not, Potter. I am merely stating the facts as I see them. It is hardly surprising that she should display a higher level of intelligence than others of her age –” He was cut off by Harry’s mouth covering his in a possessive kiss.

“Because I managed to bond with the smartest man I have ever met,” he mumbled against Severus’s lips as he pulled back a little. “And the sexiest.”

Severus let out a shaky breath as Harry’s lips travelled down his jaw to latch onto the pulse throbbing in his throat. “That was not quite the point I was... was...”

He trailed off with a groan of pleasure, arching into Harry’s touch. Bracing his leg against the bed, Severus flipped them over, pinning Harry beneath him. They had been trying for a brother or sister for Lily for just over a year now, but had had no luck so far. The thought that maybe there had been some kind of damage during Lily’s birth that the Healers had all missed had occurred to Severus, but he had yet to gather the nerve to voice his worry. Pushing the thought aside, he Vanished their clothes with a wave of his hand, smiling as he felt Harry shiver at the feeling of being naked beneath him. He wasted no time in sending a hand down in between them to wrap around Harry’s half-hard cock, stroking him slowly as he brought their lips back together. Balancing his weight on one elbow as he brought Harry to his full length, Severus enjoyed the small shocks of pure pleasure shooting through him at the quiet noises Harry was making in the back of his throat. He did not realise exactly where Harry’s exploring hand was heading until he felt a finger press inside him, causing him to break the kiss with a startled gasp.

“Harry,” he paused, taking a deep breath as his voice came out in a low whisper. “Harry, if you truly wish for another child, then this will not...”

Harry’s low chuckle vibrated through Severus as he paused again, hissing as electric jolts shot through him when Harry hooked his finger to rub against his prostate. “Shh, Sev, it’s ok. I know exactly what I want right now and that is to be buried inside my mate.”

Severus gasped involuntarily when he felt Harry pressing a second finger inside him, stretching him faster than usual. His Veela had given up trying to dissuade him from allowing Harry to claim him long ago, but it made itself known this time with a flash of guilt over Severus taking his own pleasure in this way when his mate wanted a second child. The guilt was strong enough that Severus felt the incredibly strong urge to make an effort to get Harry to switch their positions, despite the fact that it was exactly what he did not want.

“Harry –”

“Sev, I know you better than anyone else ever has,” Harry interrupted. “And much better than anyone else ever will again. I know each and every one of your deepest, darkest fantasies; so I know that the idea of allowing me complete control turns you on so much I could bring you to orgasm with just my fingers. I know that you crave this just as much as I do sometimes.”

Severus was so lost in the moment, he found himself incapable of responding in anything even vaguely resembling English. Not that he could deny what Harry had said: ever since that first day beneath the tree beside the Black Lake three years previously, he had craved having Harry inside him. He knew it was highly unusual; had always known. But, he reasoned, if someone could point out a part of their relationship that fit into society’s version of what was ‘normal’, then they would be doing better than he.

With Harry’s free hand trailing feather-light touches up his spine, Severus let himself go completely, giving his mate the control he had requested. He released Harry’s throbbing cock and moved his hand back up his ribcage, focussing on holding onto his rapidly deteriorating control. A third finger rubbing against his prostate was all it took for Severus to lose control completely.

“Harry,” he moaned, his voice deep and rough. “Please.”

The first time he had asked to be taken in this way, Harry had been so surprised he had withdrawn his fingers and sat up to stare at him in shock. This had caused Severus to curse at him so soundly for the loss of friction that Harry had collapsed in laughter so helpless that Severus had simply taken control and impaled himself on his mate’s hard cock, sighing in pure pleasure. It had become a challenge Harry had set himself after that: see how long it would take to get Severus to start begging him.

“Hmm, I’m getting better,” Harry chuckled in his ear.

“You... are _cheating_ ,” Severus gasped out as Harry pressed against his prostate again, causing a jerk of his hips.

Flipping them over with ease, Harry shot Severus a grin that took his breath away. Staring up at his mate through a haze of lust, Severus reached to pull Harry’s glasses off, wanting an unobstructed view of his beautiful green eyes. Wrapping his legs around Harry’s waist, Severus let out a puff of breath when Harry removed his fingers, only for them to be immediately replaced with the swollen head of Harry’s cock. Harry’s hands gripped Severus’s hips, holding him still as he pushed forward steadily.

“Oh, my _God_ ,” Harry groaned, his eyes drifting shut as Severus stretched around him. “ _Why_ don’t I feel the need to do this more often?”

Severus could not help the quiet chuckle that escaped him at Harry’s words. He knew it was because of Harry’s submissive nature – as did Harry – but was not about to point out the obvious, as he knew it would only earn him a sardonic look from his mate. Instead, he bore down on the cock slowly impaling him, taking Harry in fast. A small gasp from Harry as he buried himself fully sent shivers running down Severus’s spine, triggering another uncontrollable jerk of his hips.

Harry gave him just enough time to adjust before pulling out and thrusting swiftly back in. The feelings rushing down the bond were those of impatience: apparently Harry wanted release and he wanted it _now_. More than willing to assist in any way he could, Severus reached up to pull Harry into a deep kiss, laughing into his mate’s mouth when he grunted and lowered them onto the bed. The pressure building up inside him rapidly, Severus ran a hand across the nape of Harry’s neck, squeezing gently as Harry pounded into him. His hips began to jerk of their own volition as he got closer and closer to orgasm.

“Yes, Sev, yes,” Harry moaned into his mouth, panting heavily.

Not paying any attention to what Harry was saying at all, Severus focussed solely on the sensations running wildly through him: the occasional brush against his prostate, the pain of Harry’s nails digging into his hips and the friction caused as his leaking cock rubbed against Harry’s stomach with each thrust. It was the press of Harry’s finger against his perineum that had Severus tipping over the edge. He cried out, his voice harsh, as he began to come in rapid spurts, covering his stomach and chest in thick ropes of cum, as well as Harry’s. It only took Harry two more thrusts before he followed Severus, his stuttering hips jerking as he came deep inside him.

“Definitely should do this more often,” Harry gasped out a few minutes later before pushing himself up with a groan and cleaning them both up with a thought.

Severus gathered him back into his arms when Harry lay back down on top of him. He had no idea what had caused Harry to have this sudden need of as much physical contact as he could get, but there was no way he was going to object if mind-blowing orgasms was the result. Pulling the bedclothes over the top of them, Severus fell asleep with his soon-to-be husband held securely in his arms.

*~*

“Father!”

Severus spun around at the sound of Lily’s voice calling him. She stopped a few steps from him, spinning slowly to show him her frilly cream flower girl dress with purple and pink flowers trimming it. The dress had been Molly and Andromeda’s choice, as apparently neither he nor Harry had any idea about fashion. A wide smile spread across his face automatically as he watched his daughter showing off, knowing now that it had been a brilliant idea for them to have a summer wedding, as it meant Lily got to ‘dress up properly’, as she had put it. She let out a shriek of laughter as he bent to scoop her up in his arms, her black eyes shining brightly.

“You look beautiful, Lily,” he murmured into her straight, shoulder-length black hair.

“I can always tell when you’re with her, you know,” Harry’s voice sounded from the doorway, warm with affection. “You feel different than when you’re with anyone else.”

Severus smiled as he shifted Lily onto his other hip so he could bend to kiss Harry. He ran his hand through the messy hair, untidying it further. Smiling as he felt Lily tug at his own hair, Severus pulled back to disentangle her hand from the long strands surrounding his face.

“Vickie!” Lily struggled in Severus’s arms until he placed her back on the ground, where she promptly toddled out the door to wrap her arms around Victoire Weasley.

“‘Arry, you’re not even dressed yet!” Fleur stood in the doorway just behind the hugging toddlers, hands on hips and frown firmly in place. “Off with you, and try to do something about your hair, please.”

Severus smirked down at his mate as he rolled his eyes and strode out of the room, Fleur following closely behind him. They had taken the Weasley’s up on their offer to have their wedding in the orchard on their property, where Bill and Fleur had married four years previously. The room Severus was currently standing in watching Lily run around the marquee with Victoire had been added onto the original plan of the marquee after it became obvious that the house would be incredibly crowded with all the extra people trying to change in there for the wedding at the same time. With The Burrow full of all nine Weasleys, as well as their various spouses, partners and squalling children, Severus had jumped at the opportunity to dress in the peace and quiet of the orchard.

Smiling to himself as he watched Lily and Victoire, Severus decided that they had definitely made the correct decision about both the location and so-called ‘theme’ of the wedding. They had had to shoot down several supposedly well-meaning suggestions about where, when and how they should be married over the past two and a half years since Lily had been born. Due to Harry’s Wood Elf nature, Catherine had suggested they have a traditional Elven wedding, including the full formal regalia, as well as the involvement of various animals. Severus had been horrified when Harry had described the ceremony to him, dread flowing through him, as he knew that he would never be able to hide the fact that he thought the whole thing ridiculous from Harry. It had only been when he had met Harry’s eyes – shining bright with unconcealed humour – that Severus had learnt that he should have been paying much closer attention to what was flowing down the bond than to trying to conceal his own physical reactions to what Harry was saying.

Kingsley had also put his two cents in with a suggestion that they have a formal ceremony in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, with dignitaries from various countries invited, as well as senior members of the Ministry. Minerva had cautiously agreed that it would be a good idea, as it would show solidarity between ‘The Saviour of the Wizarding World’ and the Ministry, but had swiftly retracted the statement when Harry had threatened to curse the both of them if they so much as mentioned his name in the Ministry cafeteria.

Neither of them wanted the kind of fame Harry had suffered through to affect Lily. She was going to have as normal a life as they could offer her: both of their respective creatures had reacted poorly to strangers attempting to interact with them in public when Lily was with them. People apparently expected to be snapped at if they spoke to Severus in public, but the poor bastard who had walked up to Harry one day in Diagon Alley as he bounced Lily in his lap and tried to force him to sign an autograph for his daughter had never expected to be shown a lethal set of talons extending from the tips of Harry’s fingers. This incident had, of course, set off a whole slew of new rumours about ‘The Boy Who Lived’ and what Severus had done to him, but he had managed to shield Harry and Lily from the worst of it, which was all that mattered to him. Apparently threats from ex-Death Eaters – both veiled and unveiled – were still enough to immobilise the quills of even the most fool-hardy journalists.

Shaking the thoughts from his mind, Severus kept an eye on the children running in circles around the marquee as he pulled his new black formal robes on over the top of his usual white shirt and black trousers. The contrast between the two was startling: Lily with her pitch-black hair and black eyes and Victoire with her white-blonde hair and bright blue eyes. The fact that they were physically almost polar opposites had no effect on the two girls, as they shared the same energetic enthusiasm for life as well as for each other. Almost as soon as they could both walk they had become fast friends, unwilling to go anywhere without the other when they were together. Fleur had suggested that because Lily had inherited Severus’s black eyes she obviously had to have more Veela traits than Wood Elf, as the Elves only ever had either green or blue eyes, so maybe that explained why they got along so well. It had occurred to Severus that Lily stood a fair chance of having a Veela Inheritance, but the fact that Lily and Victoire may be able to sense each other’s Veela nature had not. A smile spread across his lips as he watched them, thankful that they had had the foresight to add a white floor to the marquee as Lily fell and slid, laughing hysterically.

“Ah, the joys of youth.” Severus smiled as he heard Arthur making his way through the marquee. “I think these days if I fell that hard I wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. Nearly ready?”

Severus glanced down, taking in the flow of the formal robes. He had never really liked wearing them, but had been informed that he had no choice in this whatsoever. Steadfastly refusing to wear anything other than solid black had been his way of showing his annoyance at the officious air both Molly and Andromeda had adopted when it came to this wedding. It had come with the bonus of irritating the both of them, which kept him amused when they insisted on supposedly including him in the preparations. He had asked Harry, only half-jokingly, if he would simply elope and avoid all this unnecessary fuss, to which Harry had promptly responded that Lily was old enough to know something big was happening, so they could not disappoint her at this late stage.

Nodding his head as a flash of nerves hit him, Severus followed Arthur out into the marquee. He held his hand out to Lily, who took it immediately, raising her other one to indicate she wished to be picked up. Hoisting her up onto his hip, Severus moved through the lines of white wooden chairs to a second room at the end of the marquee where Harry should be.

“You need to stay with your Daddy for the time being, Lily, ok?”

“And I walk with flowers through the people?” Severus was thankful he was able to decipher what Harry called ‘toddler-ese’: the babbling train of words Lily put together in what she obviously thought was a sentence. It was difficult to understand at the best of times, but was worse when she was excited, as she was now.

“Yes, Lily, you can walk down the aisle just ahead of Daddy.”

“It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, you know.”

“Freddie!”

Severus glanced up in slight surprise to see Fred standing in the doorway of the small room, a wide grin on his face as he opened his arms to take Lily. How Lily managed to tell the twins apart without being old enough to understand the concept of checking their ears was completely beyond him, as they were both dressed identically in dark blue formal robes, but that was not what he focussed on as he handed his daughter over.

“Did you just –”

“Call me a woman?!” Harry stood just behind Fred, an outraged expression widening his eyes.

“Hey, he who bears the children, mate,” Fred shot Severus a mischievous grin before taking off with both Lily and Victoire.

Unable to contain the astonished bark of laughter at Fred’s outrageous words, Severus ducked his head, covering his mouth with a hand as Harry turned his glare on him. The twins were not going to be a very good influence on Lily as she grew up, apparently.

“Oh, shut-up, you git,” Harry mumbled before grabbing two handfuls of Severus’s hair and kissing him soundly.

The hand that had been covering his mouth trailed down Harry’s cheek brush against the nape of his neck as Severus gave himself up to the kiss. They only broke apart when they heard a slightly embarrassed cough from the doorway of the marquee. Turning to see Catherine very carefully not looking at them, Severus stepped back from Harry quickly after disentangling another’s fingers from his hair for the second time in less than 30 minutes.

“Er, hi, Catherine. Nearly time, is it?” Harry offered up an embarrassed grin as he backed into the room behind him.

“Yes,” Catherine responded with a small smile of her own. “And it is good to see I shall have no need to ask if you are both still willing.”

With one last glance back to his mate, Severus followed Catherine back down to the front of the marquee. They had finally settled on a combination of traditions from both the Wood Elf and Veela cultures, as well as a traditional wizarding ceremony. Catherine had been overjoyed to have been asked to officiate and had provided valuable insight into what exactly happened in a traditional Wood Elf ceremony, so they could pick and choose which parts they wanted and which could be left out.

Severus turned back towards the small room he had changed in to find Arthur had taken his absence as an opportunity to change his own muggle clothing for formal robes. Arthur had agreed to be Severus’s best man on one condition: that they cut the traditional Veela wardrobe – long, flowing white robes shot through with gold that very much resembled wedding dresses – for the attendants from the ceremony. Bill and Fleur’s wedding had only used wizarding traditions, but as both Severus and Harry wanted to include customs from their respective ancestors, their ceremony was set to be slightly unusual. Both Severus and Harry had readily agreed, as neither of them wished to wear the matching robes designed to be worn by the groom.

“Almost ready, are we?” Arthur offered Severus a small smile as he entered the room. “Nervous?”

 _Terrified._ “Perhaps a little,” Severus responded as butterflies fought a war in his stomach. “How are things in the house?”

“Molly and Andromeda have everything under control, including every single one of the guests.”

Severus did not try to fight back the slight quirk of his lips at the thought of those two joining forces to organise an entire household. There had been quiet rustlings coming from outside the marquee for a while now, which he assumed meant that the rest of the guests had arrived. Unsurprisingly, this only caused Severus’s nerves to jump and twitch even more. It had only recently occurred to him that having a wedding, even if it was only attended by close family and friends, would mean he would have to be up there in front of them all at some point. Public speaking had never been a problem for him, but it was the idea of what he was about to do in front of so many people that had him feeling as though he was about to bring up his breakfast. Standing there and basically declaring his undying devotion to his mate would leave him feeling overexposed and vulnerable, he was absolutely sure of it. A sudden wash of earthy-feeling magic caused a shock of surprise to rush down the bond, mingling with Severus’s own.

“How are we in here? Not considering doing a runner?” Lucy stuck her head around the door, grinning widely. “The room’s done and everyone’s seated, so as soon as you’re ready...”

As part of the ceremony, Lucy had been asked to cast an Elven bonding spell. Both he and Harry, as well as Catherine and Lucy, knew that the spell was a mere formality since they were already as bonded as they were going to get, but they had decided to include it as a display for the guests. The proper spell was used for bondings that were one-sided. It sealed the bond on both sides, if both members of the couple were willing to have a full bond. They had seen it in another ceremony two years ago and Harry had been telling Severus ever since that they were going to have a version of the spell at their wedding.

“Right, let’s get you married, then.” Arthur looked nearly as nervous as Severus felt.

They stepped out of the small room to find the marquee transformed. The wash of Wood Elf magic Catherine had sent out a minute before had added creeping vines along the white walls, floating silver balls of light bobbing near the ceiling and an overall feeling of quiet usually only found deep in a forest. Severus cast a quick glance over the almost-silent crowd sitting staring at him, receiving bright smiles from some of them. Taking a steadying breath, he stood at the front of the marquee next to Catherine to await Harry’s entrance. Thankfully, he did not have to wait long.

The sound of a Veela wedding song drifted out over the assembled crowd, soft and haunting. Severus held his breath as the door to the small room opened up and Lily walked out carrying her basket full of flower petals. They had no idea if she would remember what she was to do, but Severus was merely hoping she would not manage to somehow set something alight. Lily offered the guests a huge smile, which garnered her no small amount of sighs of ‘Oh, how cute!’ from the women in attendance, before taking a handful of flower petals and throwing them on the floor before her. She made sure to step on the discarded petals as she walked slowly down the aisle, beaming widely at the people sitting in the aisle seats. She managed to follow the plan right up until she reached the end of the aisle with an empty basket, whereupon she immediately tossed the basket and ran straight into Severus’s waiting arms. He had knelt down in anticipation of her arrival the second he saw the basket go flying out into the second row, unsurprised to see that she wanted congratulations on doing such a fantastic job straight away.

“You were wonderful, Lily,” he murmured into her ear over the sound of laughter from the guests before handing her off to Molly, who had followed behind her.

Turning his attention back to the back of the marquee, Severus felt a rush of nerves down the bond to equal his own. The collective gasp that sounded as the doors opened wide covered the whoosh of Severus’s own breath leaving him as he got a look at Harry. Fleur had refused to allow Harry to tell Severus just what she had planned for his formal robes, as it involved traditional Veela charms that he was not supposed to have knowledge of prior to the wedding. The same shimmering silvery light Fleur had emitted at her own wedding surrounded Harry as he walked down the aisle towards Severus. The light set off his green dress robes, which matched the deep green of his eyes, and caused reflections in his pitch-black hair. Surprisingly, it had no effect on his glasses, which remained clear as he moved. He was smiling wide enough Severus was certain he had gotten a glimpse of every single tooth Harry possessed.

Severus had to curb his automatic urge to grasp hold of Harry’s hand as he came to stand beside him at the front of the marquee. The nervous excitement flooding down the bond was apparently contagious, as Severus’s own excitement over what they were about to do was slowly overcoming his nerves as they turned to face Catherine.

“Friends, family, we are here today to witness the joining of two faithful souls in a bonding deeper than words can truly express. The commitment that Harry and Severus make here today will bind their essences together in the tightest of bonds, unbreakable until death.

“Harry James Potter, do you swear to commit yourself to the happiness and comfort of your mate? Do you swear to provide a safe haven for your mate in times of need? Do you swear that nothing and no one will ever come between you and your mate, as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Harry’s voice was strong and clear as he made the vow, sending shivers of joy up Severus’s spine.

Catherine’s lips twitched into a small smile as she turned to Severus. “Severus Tobias Snape, do you swear to commit yourself to the safety and security of your mate? Do you swear to never allow another to distract you from your duty to keep your mate from harm? Do you swear that no one will ever come before your mate in your heart?”

“I do.”

Severus could not prevent the smile he gave Harry as their eyes met. He was almost surprised to not be able to see a physical representation of the bond between them, as he could feel it practically crackling with the joy flooding through it from both ends.

“Please present your left hands, gentlemen.”

Catherine grasped their hands – Severus’s over Harry’s – as they extended them towards her. She lined their fingers up and pointed her wand at the white gold band that still rested on Severus’s forth finger where Harry had placed it nearly three years previously. Intoning a duplicating charm, Catherine smiled at the two of them as the spell took effect, creating an exact copy of Severus’s wedding ring on Harry’s finger. Harry stared down at his hand in wonder when Catherine released their hands, a dopey grin on his face.

A rustle of cloth from behind them claimed Severus’s attention and he turned to see Lucy standing in the middle of the aisle, her wand extended towards them. Turning properly so he was facing Harry, Severus stared down into his eyes as Lucy cast the bonding spell, chanting in words Severus did not recognise. Despite having witnessed the ceremony before, and so knowing what to expect, the brush of earthy-toned magic still shocked him a little as it settled over them, glowing a bright green. The magic swirled around them tighter and tighter as Lucy chanted, ending up over their hearts, a spot of bright green pulsing in time to their heartbeats.

“Their bond is true,” Lucy informed her enraptured audience as the magic settled, feeling very much like the bonding magic had three years ago. “The ceremony is complete.”

Severus glanced up at Catherine to find her smiling widely at them. Harry grasped the front of Severus’s robes, forcing his attention back to him.

“You may kiss your husband,” Catherine informed them, humour evident in her voice.

Severus bent down to place a soft kiss on Harry’s lips as the guests broke into loud applause. He was fairly certain he could hear the twins wolf whistling over the buzzing in his ears. His hair fell down to shield them from the onlookers as they broke apart, but Harry did not allow Severus to move away from him, keeping a tight hold of the front of his robes instead.

“Kiss me properly, Sev,” he ordered, a ridiculously wide grin on his face.

“Harry –”

“I’m pregnant, Sev. Now kiss me!”

Severus’s mind went completely blank for a few seconds as he stared down at Harry in shock. _Pregnant...?_ His mind could not seem to wrap around the concept. They had been trying for so long that Severus had almost given up hope that they could have more than one child. Once his mind cleared, he reacted instinctively, hoisting Harry up into his arms and kissing him properly, just as he had demanded. He was unsure if the loud whoop of joy he heard had come from him, Harry or one of the onlookers, but found that he really did not care, focussed as he was on his mate in his arms. _Husband_ , he corrected himself, smiling into the kiss. Harry had wrapped his legs around Severus’s waist when Severus had lifted him up, holding himself steady. Now he wrapped his fingers through the long hair at the back of Severus’s head, tugging gently. When they finally came up for air, it was to find that the room had been transformed: the chairs had vanished or been transfigured; tables with champagne had appeared, as well as finger foods; an area in the middle of the room had been cleared for a dance floor and a stand for a live band had risen up at the opposite end of the marquee.

“Harry, you are... I –” Severus did not even know how to go about finishing that sentence, but Harry seemed to understand, brushing the backs of his fingers along Severus’s jaw line.

“I know, Sev, and so are you,” Harry murmured against his lips, still grinning widely.

“So incredibly sorry to interrupt the moment, but we really need the happy couple for their first dance.” Lucy did not sound in the slightest bit sorry, but Severus released Harry anyway, allowing him to slide down to the floor, still grinning.

“‘First dance’?” Severus questioned with the raise of an eyebrow.

“Oh, come on, Sev. One dance won’t kill you,” Harry cajoled with what he obviously thought was a winning smile.

Against his better judgement, Severus allowed Harry to pull him into the middle of the dance floor, to the continued cheers of Fred and George. “Harry, you know I do not dance.”

Harry wrapped his arms around Severus’s neck and pressed close, staring up into his eyes. “‘Do not’ doesn’t necessarily mean you _cannot_ , Sev.”

Sighing, Severus unwrapped Harry’s arms from his neck, placed one on his shoulder and held the other out to the side. When the band began a slow waltz, Severus guided his stunned mate around the dance floor, carefully avoiding being stepped on. Harry stared up at him in mild shock as they moved, causing Severus to smirk at him. A swift rush of desire down the bond turned the smirk into a full grin as other couples started joining them on the floor. Severus paused at the edge of the floor, smiling down at Harry as he leant in close.

“No, it does not mean I cannot dance, love; just that I do not like to.”

Harry grabbed hold of him as Severus tried to step back from him. “We’re doing that again before the night is through.”

Allowing himself to be taken to the opposite side of the marquee to Harry, Severus sat down at one of the small white tables that had appeared when the tent had been transformed. Lily bounced over and jumped up onto his lap the second he sat down, babbling about how pretty everything was. Ignoring the conversations happening on either side of him, Severus smiled as his daughter told him everything she wanted to take home with them that night, which unfortunately included the bobbing silvery lights.

“She is absolutely beautiful, Severus. You should be proud.”

Severus glanced up to see Narcissa Malfoy standing beside the bench he sat on, her grandson held securely in her arms. She had chosen a light blue set of robes that set off her white-blonde hair and matched her eyes. Moving aside so she could sit, Severus offered her a slight smile.

“I am rather proud of her, yes. Although Harry assures me I am a little biased.”

“Aren’t we all?” Narcissa smiled down at Scorpius squirming in her lap, before glancing towards the dance floor. “I need to thank you.”

Severus eyed her carefully before responding. “For what?”

“I know you felt at least a slight responsibility for Draco during the War, as well as for a while afterwards. I also know that you were responsible for him cutting ties with those so-called friends of his from his school days.” She sighed, still watching Draco on the dance floor. “What I guess I am trying to do is thank you for everything you have done for Draco over the past few years. If it weren’t for you, he would have continued on the downward spiral he was in after the end of the War. He has found true happiness in the past few years and I believe a large part of that was due to you and the advice you have given him.”

Severus followed her gaze to where Draco was standing in the middle of the dance floor, his arms wrapped tightly around his mate. The two of them had gone through an incredibly rough time over the few months following Lily’s birth, but Narcissa was right: they did look exceedingly happy now. Of course, the birth of Scorpius last year had sealed that happiness.

“Draco’s current state of contentment is entirely due to his own actions. I merely gave him a slight nudge in the right direction.”

“Be that as it may, Severus, I wish to thank you anyway,” Narcissa gave him a wide smile before moving on to speak with her sister.

Severus stayed in the same position for the rest of the night, talking to various people as they came and went. Narcissa and Andromeda left half-way through the night to put both Scorpius and Teddy to bed and Bill Weasley followed soon after, taking Victoire and Lily back to The Burrow with him. He watched as Percy found himself suddenly unable to speak in anything other than Spanish after drinking something George gave him and as Hermione managed to prevent Fred from causing the bobbing lights to explode glitter all over the dance floor that would be almost impossible to remove from the dancer’s hair. The glow of the Veela spell that Fleur had cast over Harry faded slowly over the course of the night as Severus watched him, a slight smile on his lips as he felt the delirious happiness rushing down the bond. An idea began to form in the back of Severus’s mind as the crowd of guests started thinning out. He did not need to search long to discover where Harry was, as he had kept a close eye on him the entire night, making it easy for him to corner him as Ron and Hermione left to dance.

“Harry, what do you say to us slipping out before the end of the party?”

Harry’s attention, which had been focussed on the dance floor, snapped over to Severus at his quiet suggestion. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

Severus grabbed Harry’s hand and dragged him out of the marquee. A sharp jab of desire down the bond had him changing his mind about taking Harry back to The Burrow and directing his steps towards the other end of the orchard. Harry followed close behind him, stumbling a little in the dark. Severus stopped when they were far enough away from the light of the marquee that they would not be seen if someone glanced in their direction. He took off his outer robe and draped it on the ground, pulling Harry to him when the raging waves of lust flooding down the bond got to be too much.

“Harry,” he began, not knowing what he was going to say. He stared down into his husband’s eyes, feeling a slight sense of wonder wash over him as Harry smiled delightedly at him. Deciding simplicity was the best course, he ran his hands down Harry’s sides, smiling as he felt a shiver run through him. “I love you.”

“Prove it,” Harry whispered back, a challenging grin on his face.


	31. Epilogue

15 YEARS LATER

“Come on Mini, through the barrier before me.”

Severus smiled as he watched Lily taking charge of her younger sister. He was thankful she had turned out to be sensible enough for them to be able to trust her with her sister, as both he and Harry had their hands full keeping the twins from causing too much chaos in Kings Cross Station. Severus disliked the idea of entering Platform 9 ¾ the muggle way, rather than apparating. However, with four children in tow, they really did not have much choice in the matter.

After the problems they had had conceiving a second time, he and Harry had decided that they were happy with their little family. That is, until one night just under three years after Mini’s birth. They had been celebrating because the girls were out with Ron and Hermione for the weekend. There was only a few months separating Mini and Rose Weasley and the two had become good friends. Harry had managed to get hold of two bottles of very fine wine and they had been saving them for when they had a weekend to themselves. The resulting hangovers were nothing in comparison to the utter shock they got a few weeks later when they found out Harry was pregnant again. With twins. Not that they would ever give their boys up for anything, but it had taken some getting used to, raising two at the same time.

Albus Severus and Arthur Harry both had Harry’s green eyes and short stature, meaning they both had a good chance of having enough Wood Elf blood to have mates of their own. Albus had also inherited Harry’s poor eyesight and it was this that helped everyone who had not known them their entire lives to tell them apart. They were starting their first year at Hogwarts this year and were so incredibly excited that they were practically bouncing all over the train station. Lily gave them a disapproving look as she pushed her trolley through the barrier, rolling her eyes as Artie stuck his tongue out at her. Glancing over to where Harry stood with Al, waiting for the area to be clear enough for them to cross the barrier, Severus offered him a small smile. His stomach fluttered at the grin Harry shot him in response before guiding Al through the barrier. Severus and Artie followed soon after, the cage carrying Artie’s mottled brown owl rattling a little as they moved.

“Father,” Lily addressed him almost as soon as he was on the Platform. “They are calling for the Prefects and Heads to go to their carriage. I assume Mini will be alright here for the time being?”

It still stunned him sometimes just how much Lily had turned out like him. Tall and thin with straight black hair and black eyes, she had been Sorted into Slytherin and named Head Girl this year, due to her strong leadership qualities. She tended to be close to the top of the class in many subjects, but had always excelled at Defence and was looking to join the Auror program next year, after she graduated.

“You may wish to unstick Victoire from Teddy on your way to the carriage,” he responded, nodding his head to where the two of them were pressed into each other. “I shall see you in a few hours.”

Lily smiled as she said goodbye to both he and Harry before moving to grasp Teddy Lupin by the ear and drag him away from her best friend with a wide grin on her face. Always the perfect showman, Teddy overreacted perfectly: pretending to howl in pain and hopping on one foot after her. His hair changed from a bright blue to a deep red as he rounded on Lily, who shrieked in laughter and ran off to the Prefect’s carriage, Victoire in tow.

Both Lily and Victoire had come into their Veela Inheritances when they had turned 17 this year, and Victoire had almost immediately bonded with Teddy. In order to keep up the required amount of contact, Teddy had taken a job in one of Hermione’s stationary stores in Hogsmeade, having asked if he could stay with Severus and Harry. He was a year older than both Lily and Victoire, but he had always shown interest in Victoire and they had started dating the year she turned 16. Lily had not yet identified her mate, but just the knowledge that she had one out there somewhere had her extremely excited. Minerva Eileen, her junior by three years, thought it was incredibly romantic that she had a ‘soul mate’ just waiting for her. Severus had given Harry a look when his daughter had come out with the muggle term, but had only received a shrug and an innocent, wide-eyed look in response.

Minerva, or Mini as she preferred, was just entering her forth year and was at that stage where she was embarrassed to be seen with her parents in public. Both Severus and Harry believed that she would also have an Inheritance in three years when she came of age, which she had also declared ‘so romantic!’ Severus had no idea how the two of them had managed to raise such a girly girl, but that term described her perfectly: girly. Quiet and bookish, Mini was more likely to be found in the Hogwarts library than outside annoying the Giant Squid or playing Quidditch. The second she spotted them, she rushed off to join a group of chattering Weasleys. Her long, slightly kinky black hair streamed out behind her as she greeted Molly, Roxanne and Rose enthusiastically, chattering excitedly about what they were going to do when they got back to their Gryffindor dormitory.

“Is that Scorpius?”

Both of their boys idolised the older boys they had grown up with; now that Teddy had graduated, they had latched onto Scorpius. Severus assumed that this was just something to comfort them as they started something new, as neither of them were very outgoing. They had both been looking forward to the Quidditch lessons they were going to be getting, as they also idolised their Uncle Viktor, who had married Ginny Weasley ten years previously. As obsessed as they were with all the local Quidditch teams, Severus would not be surprised if they ended up on their Houses Quidditch teams. Glancing down at their messy heads, Severus smiled as they ran off to accost Scorpius. A soft sigh from beside him pulled his attention fully back to Harry.

“They’re all leaving, Sev,” Harry mumbled, his eyes still on Albus and Arthur’s retreating backs.

Severus raised an eyebrow before pulling Harry into his arms in a small alcove. “You will literally be seeing them in seven or eight hours, Harry. You are one of their Professors and you can see them every single day if you wish.”

Harry grinned as he tucked Severus’s hair – now liberally streaked with grey – back behind his ear. “Go on, that’s it. Ruin my fun.”

“I do not recall you complaining last night, Potter,” Severus’s grin matched Harry’s as he watched the shock cross his husband’s face.

“You’d better watch it, or I’ll make you follow through on everything that smile’s promising,” Harry smirked before pulling Severus down into a chaste kiss. “Now stop trying to distract me.”

Smiling as he watched Harry walk back to where they had left the trunks, Severus thought back over their time together. It had been 18 years since that day when Harry had saved him in the Shrieking Shack and not a single day had passed where he had not thanked his lucky stars for the fortune he had been blessed with. He and Harry had been a perfect fit from day one; of that he was certain. Harry had brought family and friends into his life, as well as given him four children who he would move the stars for if they requested it. Severus cocked his head as Harry bent over to pick something up.

“Keep watching him with that gooey expression and someone’s going to assume you actually like him, you know.”

Severus glanced over at the sound of Hermione’s humour-laden voice. “Granger.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Snape.”

“I do not do ‘gooey’, as you well know.” Severus could not help the small smirk that crossed his face at her snort of a laugh. “I was merely admiring the view.”

This time she laughed properly, causing Harry to look back at the two of them and roll his eyes. “We have less than five minutes to get these trunks on the train and you two are standing around talking?”

Severus raised his hands in mock defeat before grasping the opposite end of one of the trunks. Once they had everything loaded, they found the three youngest of their children and said goodbye properly, Mini squirming in embarrassment. Albus and Arthur looked more nervous than excited, but seemed to rally when some of the older boys sat in the compartment with them. Harry ran alongside the train, waving like a lunatic for a little while, before turning back with a sad expression.

“They really are gone now, Sev. Lily’ll graduate next year and...” Harry looked up into Severus’s eyes, a slight sadness running down the bond.

“And she will do extremely well for herself. She is a strong, intelligent young woman who has unfortunately inherited your incredible stubbornness. It would not surprise me to discover she has the entire Auror Department terrified of her within the first month.” Severus gathered Harry into his arms as he drew close, his face buried into the messy hair. “I love you.”

Severus could feel Harry grinning against his neck as the emotions running down the bond changed from sadness to joy. Preparing to apparate them back home to Hogsmeade, Severus pulled back a little to look into his mate’s eyes, his stomach fluttering as he saw nothing but warmth and love there.

“I love you, too, Sev.”

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is the proper end! Hope you all like it. The response to what was originally meant to be a short, angsty fic has been amazing, thank you all!
> 
> What I want to do with the sequel is pair Draco up with Adrian's rejected mate. It will also show bits of this fic that I just skimmed over, as well as showing the Severus/Harry relationship from another perspective. I'll aim to start posting it about the 23rd of Feb, as my internet connection has been a bit sketchy recently.


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